Catch Me Before I Fall
by stAnd out - SHOUT OUT
Summary: There was someone else on that ship. Shaylon Shadow was able to hack through the Butcher Bay mainframe and nearly 15 criminals escaped, now she's on her way back to lockup when she gets stranded on the desert planet. Convicts stick together. Riddick/OC
1. Hackers And Murderers

Catch Me Before I Fall

Hackers And Murderers

_They say most of your brain shuts down in Cryo-Sleep...all but the primitive side...the animal side._

If I had known that this would have happened, I sure as hell would have passed it off as bull. If I had been told that I would fall for a widely known murderer, then I would have called you a liar, and if you had told me that my life would be saved by that murderer, then I would have laughed. But I'm not laughing.

Everyone was alseep, all but one. The murderer, Richard .B. Riddick. There were others, Sharon, but she was known for being called Shazza. A holy man, Imam, with three sons. A young kid, looked to be just a teenager, Jack, and some crackpot man named Paris. Then there was Johns, the so called cop. Along with Caroline Fry, an apparent close friend of our little cop. There was also a young woman, her hair the color of fire, reaching to nearly mid-back. She stood out from the others, she wasn't trying to dress fancy, just baggy cargo pants and a dark top that lifted above her stomache, showing off her tonned mid-section. But there were cuffs on her wrists, she was on her way to do her time. Her name was Shaylon Shadow.

Long slender, feather light fingers, perfect for pick-pocketing. But that's not exactly how she had used them, she stuck to computers and machines. She had cracked the secruity code for Butcher Bay, people think that it was because of her the Riddick had escaped, but she had been in lock-up when he had escaped, so that didn't quite work.

Out of nowhere, a small flaming rock, no bigger then a golf ball, broke in through the side of the ship, right abover her shoulder, where the chains for her were sucured to the wall, causing them to break. Riddick watched through the blindfold he had on as she fell forward, still asleep, but quickly waking up. she fell into the clear door and it banged open, causing the woman to fall free.

You would hear when she hit the ground as the grates thundered from her fall. Her head cracked hard against the grates, creating a large gash on her forehead. she groaned as she slipped into conciousness, her hands coming to her head, blood painting her fingers. She looked around in a daze, and used a rail to try and stand. blood was now flowing down the side of her face, nearly getting in her left eye.

More meteores berated the ship, and she stumbled forward, falling against the glass of none other then Richard .B. Riddick's Cryo tube. She looked up with aqua eyes, scanning his face to see if he had awoken to, but as far as she knew he was asleep like the rest. Blood smeered on the glass when she had fellen foward and her head collided with it. She leaned against the tank, still watching him.

'He really does look like a killer.' she thought to herself, looking at the muscled man before her. The Ship suddenly jerked and she felt the air rush from her lungs, she was left gasping before glass began to shower down from the front of the ship. she ducked back down, in front of the murderer.

Riddick watched as the woman before him fell free from her cryo tube, waking up in the process. Her head had split open, he could smell the blood. He could smell her pain, her heart beat increasing as she woke from her sleep to feel the pain.

He got a much better look of her as she stood, before falling against his tube when the ship rocked and shook. Some of her blood was smeared onto the glass when she hit it, he could hear her hiss in pain when she hit the ground once more. He had to surpress a growl when he saw who was coming up to her.

She suddenly felt something grab onto her waist and looked back to see Johns, who had fallen free from his Cryo sleep. His blue eyes held hers for a moment as he glared at her.

"How the hell did you get out of you chains?" he asked loudly, the sounds of the ship being torn apart nearly flushing out what he had asked.

"Fuck you Johns, all I did was-" Suddenly being jerked around as she ship hit the ground, Johns was forced back and Shaylon was knocked back to the grated floor, her arms coming to try and hide her head. Everything went black.


	2. Chained

Catch Me Before I Fall

Chained

Johns looked around, Shaylon was knocked out cold. There was an amount of wreckadge that had fallen on her. Blood was flowing freely from her forehead, she was being held down by the pipes and beams on her. Johns then looked up and saw Riddick was missing from his cryo tube.

"Damn it!" he swore loudly as he looked around, making his way toward the lower levels. His gun ready, he looked around quickly, watching his back carefully. Scanning the dystroyed area carefully, he kept his eyes open to make sure that Riddick didn't sneak up on him.

So much for that. The cord tied around his ankles wrapped around Johns neck, pretty much choking the man entirely. But Johns pulled out his baton and began beating Riddick's leges and waist, trying to get the man to ease up. Riddick was forced down from where he was as he fell to the ground and Johns put his buton away.

After chaining him to a post, Johns went back to find Shaylon was still under the wreckadge. She was slowly gaining consciousness once more but was still going to be out for a little while. He was able to finally get the damage off of her and lifted her over his shoulder. She groaned but still didn't wake. He continued to carry her where he was holding Riddick, picking up a pair of cuffs to tie her as well.

"Looks like you're going to have some company here, Riddick." He said as he put her on the ground across from him. A pipe above her head, he brought her hands up to cuff them over her head, holding her there. "Just don't kill her, she's going to be worth something for what she's done." Johns turned and walked away, leaving the killer with the unconscious woman with him.

She was the one who had fallen against his cryo tube, her head was still bleeding and she was beginning to loose alot of blood. He could smell that she was starting to wake up and her head must have been killer her. She began to shift slightly and moving her arms the cuffs made her strain to move.

"So what'd you do to get the blue eyed devil after you?" Riddick asked her, and she opened her eyes slowly to stare at him.

"Hm...well, it might have been when I cracked the code to Butcher Bay and NEARLY had over 15 people escape but they caught them before they got off the grounds, or maybe when I had changed the wiring on his ship and made him nearly crash." she said, looking up as though she was really thinking about it. Riddick let out a low chuckle.

"Aw, I've heard of you, the one that had gotten Johns pissed because he had to stop in his chase after me to repair th damages done to his ship." Riddick grinned and she smiled.

"That's me, and you're the murderer that everyone's afraid is going to kill them." she said then cocked her head to the side, "But I don't think that you would kill anyone without a reason." Riddick said nothiong but made a faint growling sound in his throat. She looked up sharply with a glare when she heard someone come in and saw a young woman, the docking pilot, Caroline Fry.

"They are both on their way back to lockup." Johns said as he walked up behind her.

"Back?"

"Shadow got her hands on a computerand hacked the system to get herself out. She's being sent to the old fashioned lock and key. Riddick is the opposite, he needs some serious locks and codes to hold him in."

"Kiss my ass Johns, I was just looking for a challange." Shaylon said as she shifted where she sat, nearly bumping Riddick's leg.

"Watch yourself Shadow, or I'll sick Riddick on you."

"Ha! No way, us convicts stick together. At least until one pisses the other off." she laughed and Johns kicked her in the side. She groaned as her head fell forward. Riddick's face remained stony as he watched Johns turn around, leaving the bruising woman behind.

"Do me a small favor, kill him slowly for me." she said as she looked slowly up at him, her eyes squinted in pain. "I am not used to people kicking me." she admitted as she looked down again, speaking more to herself then to him.

"Can't make any garanties." Shayron nodded slowly and took a deep breath, wincing.

"Think he almost got my rib that time." she muttered to herself, but he could hear her just fine. "Above you" she said simply.

Riddick merely nodded and stood slowly, lifting his arms up behind him while he did so. Shaylon flinched when she heard the loud pops of his shoulder bones coming from their sockets. He lifted his arms further as he brought his cuffed wrists toward where the wooden beam was split and broken. She winced again when they poped back in and he brought his hands down.

"You should get out of here, before Johney boy comes back."

Riddick was silent as he looked down at her, she was surprised when he brought up a pipe to break the one that her cuffs were over. She looked surprised as he lifted her to her feet and picked up a surpressed can of water and mouth piece.

"Like you said, us convicts got to stick together." He said with a grin, causing her to chuckle lightly, wincing slightly from the pain in her ribs.

Riddick slipped from the room where Johns had been holding them and ran into the large dessert planet. Shaylon groaned at the sun that beat down on her, she hadn't planned on getting stranded in the blazing sun or she would have asked to wear shorts.

"Can you run fast?"

"For a little while, but not to long."

"Stay here a moment, I gotta do something." Riddick took off toward sunrise and Shaylon hid in the shadows and watched him. He suddenly stopped and she saw him begin to fiddle with the cuffs around his wrists, before she watched as he threw the chained cuffs far off.

They then quickly turned to head toward sunset, in the opposite dirrection he had just been in, Shaylon doing her best to run for as long as she could but she was quickly getting dehydrated due to the heat and the atmisphere that cause her to loose breath in the first place. Running for a while they finally stopped when they came to a boneyard like place. But they didn't seem like normal bones.

"These things were huge." she said as she ran her hands over the ribs of what used to be a very large animal or something of somesort. "Whatever these animals were they're wiped out now." Riddick meanwhile was standing near the head of one.

"I don't think people would mind them dying." Riddick said and she looked down at its head, noticing the huge teeth the covered the jaw.

"I really hope those things are ALL dead." she said as she looked around at all of the bones, there were so many. Riddick began to inhale some of the water, and Shaylon went uner the remains of one of them to try and get some rest and cool down. She fiddled more with her cuffs and huffed when they started to cut into her skin.

"Here." she looked up and saw that Riddick was holding out the mouth piece and water. She took it and hesitated a moment considering the fact that he had used the mouthpiece, but took a bit of the water anyway, glad to have something to cool her. "Hold out your hands." Shaylon did as was told and lifted her hands, placing the water on her lap. Riddick began to fiddle with the cuffs and her eyes widened when they came loose, falling from her wrists.

"And they said I was good with these things." she siad and rubbed her wrists, taking in more of the water. Offering some to Riddick he shook his head and began to wander around, and she saw him switch from wearing his blindfold to a pair of dark goggles. She leaned back and rested against the bones behind her, watching him.


	3. Hidden

Catch Me Before I Fall

Hidden

Riddick grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her into the corpse of one of the beasts. He lifted her up into the remains of one while he hid in his own place, telling her not to move and be silent. She tried to be silent, holding her breath at times, then she heard them, the others from the crash. She wasn't sure how many were there, but she did know that they had Johns with them. She looked over to Riddick who was hiding in a hole in the remains of another.

Johns moved around inside the creature, his gun ready to fire if he saw Riddick or Shadow. Shaylon moved further into the shadows when she saw him heading in the direction of where she was hiding. She saw his shadow turn around and had to hide a sigh of relief, she wasn't going back with him of all people.

He left once more and Shaylon peeked from her hiding place to see the coast clear. Riddick emerged from his own place and walked toward the shadows of another. Shaylon tried to be as quiet as she could when she walked behind him, knowing that he was much better at this then she was. She stopped when she saw that same woman from before, Caroline. She stared at her for a moment, watching to see if the woman would notice her.

She had to supress a gasp when a hand was suddenly clamped over her mouth and she got drug back into the shadows, she looked over her shoulder and saw Riddick looking out. Johns then rounded the corner and began making his way toward Caroline.

"There you are, you should be careful. You wouldn't want to run into Riddick, and for all I know he could be teaching Shadow his ways." Johns said and Shaylon rolled her eyes, Riddick still holding his hand over her mouth. "Here, a drink?" Johns held out a bottle of whisky and Caroline took it carefully, saying she shoudn't casue of dehydration.

Riddick released Shaylon and she sunk backward toward the shadows where she couldn't be seen, while Riddick pulled out a sharp piece of bone that could easily be used as a dagger. Shaylon stood still where she was while Riddick continued to move closer, and she was surprised when Johns couldn't see him even when he was standing right there.

"Come on, let's get going." Johns finally said as he left, and Shaylon made sure that they wre out of sight before stepping forward, sighing.

"He has got to be blind." she muttered, causing Riddick to grin slightly. "So what now?"

"Now we head back." Riddick said, "They're heading on further away, we head back to the crash and beat them there." he explained and she nodded, walking in the direction they had come, staying in the shadows and remains of the creatures. Riddick made his way off as well, travelling along his own path toward the other end of the waistland.

Shaylon jumped up on the bones of one and climbed up so that she was standing on the spine, walking along and keeping her balance so as not to fall off. She walked until she came to the neck...or tail she really wasn't sure. Her foot searched for the next bone she could step on, but her foot hit the edge and slipped from it, causing her to fall off to the right, but her left arm was caught and she was pulled back up against a rock hard chest.

"You really need to watch your footing," Riddick's voice caught her attention and she looked up at him, her face ending up to be inches from his.

"I work with my hands." she said, then cocked her head tot he side, "And that was not meant to sound that dirty." Riddick actually laughed slightly from her words and she smirked. "Let's get going, it'll be night soon."

"Don't be so sure about that." Riddick said as he used his free hand to point off toward something. Shaylon looked and her eyes widened.

"Three suns?"

"I don't think there's going to be a sunset." Riddick said and she nodded, before Riddick helped her down back onto the ground and heading toward the area of the crash.

**Sorry if this was so short, the next one will be longer**


	4. Caught Again

Catch Me Before I Fall

Caught Again

Paris was acting like he owned the place and Jack was pissing him off. Shaylon couldn't help but smile at how he jumped when Riddick kicked the wall. He looked around, calling to see if anyone was there. After he had left his post to go and find the kid Jack, on his way to blame him for everything, Shaylon walked up to his chair and umbrella, sitting in the shade and rading his whisky for something to drink.

Riddick joined her and sat down in the chair, she drank from a whisky bottle, the two of them having finished off the water on the way back to the crash. She held the bottle up to him and he smirked as he took it, they both heard the sound of gunshots and looked over to see someone lying on the ground in front of the other crash survivors who had stayed behind.

"Something tells me they're not going to last long on this planet." Shaylon said as they all began to crowd around the now dead man that the one named Zeke had killed.

"This'll be fun." Riddick said as he took another gulp of the whisky and Shaylon held her hand out asking for the drink. He held it out to her and she recieved it happily, bringing the glass to her lips and drinking the strong liquid inside.

Shaylon stayed hidden began one of the oddly spiked rocks sticking from the ground, Riddick hidden as well. They watched as Zeke pulled the dead body toward the hole that he had been working on, suddenly stopping as he looked closely at something that she couldn't see. He jumped down into the hole and Shaylon looked over to Riddick, who seemed to be paying attention to something else.

Shaylon looked back over to where the hole was but Zeke had ducked down and they couldn't see him anymore. Shaylon nearly shreaked when she heard the loud screams of pain of the man and the odd screaches that came from something else. Riddick ran over and stopped at the front of the hole, looking down at what Shaylon coudn't see.

Then there was Shazza, standing there watching Riddick. Shaylon remembered when he had told her on their way back.

"If anyone sees you, run to the crash, don;t bother following me, just run."

Riddick took off running and Shaylon ran in another dirrection, toward the crash sight where Shaza had come from. She didn't bother looking back to see where Riddick was but was shocked beyond disbeliefe when two arms wrapped around her waist and she fell back, landing on her back on the other persons chest. From the groan of pain they let out when they got squished she could only guess it was Paris.

Wrestling herself from his arms, she got up and started to run again when the rocky spikes were blown beside her and she looked back to see Johns pointing his blaster at her with Riddick on the ground at his feet and his goggles in his hand. Shaylon turned to run so that she was weaving through the spikes and Johns wasn't able to get a good shot.

Paris, Shazza and Caroline got in her way and wouln't let her pass any further, so she circled back and began to run toward where Zeke had disappeared. She saw Johns aim the gun to her and she ducked away from it and leaned against one of the odd spikes. She could see Riddick on the ground and he had his eyes closed and seemed to be in pain without his googles.

She let out a loud shriek when the rock behind her suddenly caved and she was about to fall back, feeling something wrap around her waist and tug her backwards, but her wrists were suddenly caught and whoever had them began to pull her away from the rocks, but whatever had ber was persistent.

"Got it off of me!" She looked up to see that it was Johns who had grabbed her wrists, and Imam was pulling on her forearms, trying to get her out.

"What the hell is pulling her in!?" Paris yelled as he joined them and Johns gave a sharp tug, pulling her into his chest and he pulled out a shiv and looked at what seemed to be a living rope, the color purple, that was burning and smoking in the sun. It tugged on her waist again, tearing skin from a long line around her waist and she screamed once more.

"Cut it off of her!" Jack yelled and Johns did so quickly, causing her to fell forward with him falling back, causing her to land on top of him. She quickly rolled off of him and held her waist, her teeth clenching.

"Follow me, bring her back to the ship." Johns said as he forced Riddick to his feet, the gun to his back and pushed him along. Paris and Imam pulled Shaylon to her feet as she kicked and flared and slammed her knee in between Paris' legs in the process. Jack took his place and they were able to get her into the ship where Johns took over and hauled her so that she was chained opposide of Riddick once more, left standing.

Johns chained her hands in the same manner as last time, but high above her head so that sshe had to stretch onto the tips of her toes for the cuffs not to srtain her wrists. She was almost as tall as Riddick would be when he stood now. Riddick watched her as she squirmed and her shirt lifted to show the red line around her waist where her skin had somehow been cut and torn, but not deep enough make her ooze blood.


	5. Learning To Trust

Catch Me Before I Fall

Leaning To Tust

Shaylon was starting to squirm around from the searing pain around her waist, whatever had gotten her sure as hell had a grip. She then looked over to Riddick, he was sitting still and composed, as though he was waiting for something, then she began to think. Why had he been in so much pain when Johns had taken off his goggles, it had to be something to do with his eyes. She suddenly remember something a friend had told her, that the reason he was so good was because no one could sneak up on his in the dark.

"Show me your eyes Riddick." Shaylon said out of nowhere, but he made a calm growling noise and cocked his head slightly to the side.

"You're going to have to be a lot closer then that."

Shaylon looked at the pipe that her cuffs were over and saw that it was straight, and it led right to Riddick. She shifted on her feet and walked on her toes a little closer to him. The cuffs were starting to strain her wrist, she stopped a couple feet away and he made the growling sound again.

"Closer." he repeated, she move closer still, huffing when the cuffs got caught on a screw and she had to stretch higher to get the chains over it. Riddick had a perfect view of her toned stomach as she stretched, her strong arms lifted perfectly to show off the muscle that had formed there from her running. Her long red hair brushed her back in a teasing manner and she inched closer to him.

When she was at least a foot away, Riddick sprung to his feet, pulling on his restraints, his face only a bit more then 2 centimeters from her own, though their chests were presed tightly together. She didn't flinch from the sudden movement, but her eyes widened when she saw the color of his eyes. Silver. She looked at him for a while until he looked away to stare over at the staircase and Shaylon glaced around her arm as best she could to see Jack.

"Wicked eyes." He said and Riddick cocked his head to the side with a slight smirk, he looked like he was about to reply when Caroline's voice rung around them.

"Leave Jack." The boy frowned as he glared at her, she motioned with ehr head for him to go and he obeyed as he ran back up the stairs and Shaylon frowned. That bitch was getting annoying.

"Tell me where his body is." she ordered as she walked forward some more, but not getting to close. riddick sat back down and Shaylon let the cuffs strain as she tried to rest her tired feet from having to stand so high for so long. Neither of them spoke and Caroline scowled. "Fine, don't talk, but just so you know, we're all debating on whether or not to just leave the two of you here to die." she said as she made her way toward the exit when Riddick spoke.

"Have you looked inside?"

"We already checked in there, we found nothing." she said and Shaylon frowned.

"Look deeper." she said as she looked over to Caroline, who didn't seem to like Shaylon any more then she liked her. Exiting the space the two chained were left alone once more.

"Come closer." Riddick said suddenly and Shaylon raised an eyebrow, but did as was told and inched closer toward Riddick. "Closer." He said, same as before.

"If I move any closer you'll be kissing my stomach." Shaylon hissed and he smirked in the shadows.

"Do you remember how to break the cuffs?"

"I was paying attention." she said, knowing he was refering to when he had gotten the cuffs off of her before.

"If I can boost you on my shoulders and get you high enough, think you can break them?" Shaylon thought for a moment, it was at least worth a try. She nodded and inched herself closer. "Use the fallen metal and step onto my shoulders, then I'll lift you." Shaylon did her best to climb the wall practically, using her cuffed hands as a tool to get up easier and lift herself, but they hurt like hell.

She got herself onto his shoulders and he gave no warning as he stood. She had to duck her head so the she didn't crack it on the roof. She began to fiddle with the chains, watching to see any weak points, she found one. Where the cord that attached each shackle there was a loose bit, she twisted it and twisted it until it was loose enough to yank apart.

Riddick suddenly began to lower once more and Shaylon used the pipe to keep herself balanced and when he sat down once more she jumped down and looked to his chains. They were different then her own, these onces seemed much more tricky and she probably wouldn't get lucky with having another loose bit in it.

"You're going to have to walk me through this one." She said and he smirked.

"I can get these off, I just need you to find a way to get them loosened from the wall." Riddick said and she nodded, before walking back over to him and leaning over his shoulder, so that if he turned his head to the right he would get the perfect view of her ass. Her light fingers began to screw around with screws and bolts and cords until Riddick pulled and his hands fell free from their restraints.

She held back an undignified squwalk when he stood abruply, her still slung over his shoulder and he turned to walk from the temporary prison when they heard someone come back down the stairs. Jack. He stopped to stare at them and Shaylon blew her hair out of her face to looked at him, having to try and peek past Riddick's muscled arm, the one that wasn't holding her hostige.

"Could you not tell?" she asked, and Riddick squeezed her side in a warning. She whacked him in the back but knew it did nothing.

"I won't say a word." Jack said as he smiled, if Shaylon didn't know any better she would think the kid liked the large escaped convist under her at the moment. "But Johns still has your goggles." He pointed out and Riddick made a slightly growling noise. Shaylon suddenly went stiff and pocked Riddick in the back.

"Not to be the barrer of bad news, but Johns is heading this way and I do believe he can see us becuase he just started running." She said and Riddick looked quickly to Johns before he made his way into the rubbage that bad once been the ship.

"Stay hidden, don't make a sound." He told her and she nodded as she slipped into some of the large pieces of metal and was hidden from view. Riddick watched her disappear and Jack jumped when Johns shot right past Riddick's head.

"How'd you get out, where's Shadow?" he asked as he cautiously walked forward, lookin at Jack for answers but the kid was silent. "Well? I will blow this place apart and see which chunk of metal bleeds." He said as he aimed for a pile of junk, but it wasn't where Shaylon was. Riddick was surprised at how quiet she was. She started to crawl further back and only he could hear her with his hearing. She had reached the wall and was far away by the time Johns had walked forwrd the look at where she had been.

"Look Riddick, here's the deal, I'll let you live if you do as I say, work without shivs and chains, Shadow can go free around here as she pleases as well." Riddick looked at him with doubtful eyes and heard Shaylon hiss, or at least it sounded damn near a hiss.

"Why should I trust that you won't just kill me off when you get tired of me?" Riddick asked and Johns lowered his gun.

"I'm just to tired of chasing you anymore Riddick, Shadow is a pain in the ass and I don't really care about her. She's not skilled in running away and can be caught much more easily then you can." Johns reasoned and Shaylon growned, amusing Riddick.

"You'll just let us go as we please 'round here?"

"Fine, just as long as no one else dies from your hands. And that goes for Shadow in case you taught ehr a few new tricks." Johns said as he looked over to the junk, not knowing where she was, but knowing she was there.

"Deal" Riddick said after a moment and Shaylon stood, glaring at Johns.

"If I'm so bad then howcome it's taken you this long to find me?" she asked and he glared, before tossing Riddick his goggles and leaving quickly. Shaylon looked around herself and sighed. "How in the hell did I get all the way over here?"


	6. Dehydrated

Catch Me Before I Fall

Dehydrated

"So I'm guessing they're one of us now?" Shazza asked as she walked next to Johns.

"You could say that, at least this way I uh...don't have to worry about y'all fallin asleep and not waking up." Johns said in almost a joking tone.

"So can I talk to them now?" Jack asked as he came up next to them.

"No!" they said in unison and Jack frowned, turning to continue walking somewhere else.

Shaylon glared around her from the heat, her long pants making her legs hot and sweaty. She had long since pulled her long red hair up to air out her neck. She walked a couple of paces before Riddick, carrying two large packed messanger bags loaded full of things that they were planning on bringing from the crash to a settlement that they others had found.

"This heat will be the death of me..." She complained to herself, growling nearly loud enough for Paris and the others to hear her from up ahead.

She stopped for a moment to try and take a breath and Riddick walked past her, smirking, she glared at him and huffed, wanting to lay down and rest but not having much of a choise and knowing that the sand was going to burn like hell.

Riddick saw when Paris dropped a bottle of whisky, walking to it. He grabbed it before the other man had a chance, thoroughly scaring him. Riddick stood, holding the bottle in his hand.

"P-Paris, antiques dealer, antripanuer." He introduced as he held his hand out and Riddick smirked.

"Richard .B. Riddick, escaped convict, murderer." Riddick introduced and looked beside him when Shaylon stopped beside them.

"Nice to meet you Paris, Shaylon Shadow, also an escaped convict, internasional firewall hacker and machanic." She said as she smirked. Riddick popped open the bottle, Paris trying to say his words of protest. he drank down half of what was left in it and held the rest out, Paris reach for it but Shaylon snatched it up first, downing the rest of it's contents as she walked off, Riddick doing the same, leaving a dazed Paris.

"By all mean, help yourselves."

Shaylon watched as they hooked up the power cell to the ship they had found abandoned, they watched when the computers and monitors came to life.

"Oh! Can I check the system!?" she asked with a glint in her eyes, but Johns grabbed her from around the waist and carried her out of the ship.

"Don't come near here, or you will regret it." he warned and walked back in, Shaylon flipping him off from behind him. She turned around to look at her suroundings, the dry air biting at her skin. Her face was coated in sweat and her hair was becoming wet from it. She couldn't see Riddick of Jack and Shazza was with John and Caroline.

"Tell me, how come Riddick treats you with more trust then that he does with anyone else?" Imam asked her and she spun to look at him, his sons somewhere else.

"Maybe it's because we can understand some of each other better then you can." she said and began to walk somewhere, exploring the dried up town.

She found one of the buildings had a latter to the roof and began to pull herself to the top. Her hands burned on the hot metal and she stopped at the top, sitting on top of the place and looking around. She looked down to her pants and grabbed onto the fabric right below her knees and tearing it, ripping the cloth off and doing the same with the other leg so that she was then dressed in long baggy cargo shirts instead of her previous cargo pants.

She buried her face in her hands as she tried to cool herself, she was so hot, and so tired. Her heartbeat sped up as she looked around, her breaths increasing and soon to become uneven. A pare of hands on her shoulders made her jump and she looked up with wide blue eyes to see Riddick standing over her.

"That's not good, shaking like that in this heat." He said as he looked at her closely. Her face was pale and her hands were trembling. "You're dehydrated." He mumbled and she looked at him before her eyes suddenly rolled backward and she fell forward against him.

Johns looked up when Riddick walked in with Shaylon in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder as both of her arms hung loose. Caroline and Shazza looked upon his with disbeliefe as he set her down on the ground with her back resting against the wall.

"She may be a convict as well but I do believe I told you not to kill anyone." Johns accused.

"She's not dead, only out cold. She's dehydrated and passed out, she needs water." Riddick explained as he stopped her from falling forward.

"Here." Shazza walked forward with a glass of water in her hands that they had gotten from the well there, "Could you tilt her head back." Riddick used her neck to move her head backward and Shazza carefully put the glass to her lips and tipped it slightly to allow the water to flow into her mouth slowly. She made sure that had gone down her throat before she gave her more. "She should wake up in a bit, until then that's enough."

Riddick stayed where he was so that he could support Shaylon so she didn't fall over. Jack then walked in and everyone went silent, looking closely at him. He had shaved his head just like Riddick. He looked around at everyone who was staring at him and shrugged.

"I guess we have the winner of the look alike contest." Paris said and Jack glared at him. Shaylon shifted slightly and that got Jack's attention.

"What happened?"

"Passed out from dehydration." Shazza said simply as she took her place once more in the room.

"But we're all fine." Jack pointed out.

"It's different for her, she was born and raised on a very cold planet, she's not used to this heat. Heer body shuts down alot sooner then ours would because it was so much harder for her to adjust." Johns said and Caroline gave him a curious look, "I did my research when I had to catch her." he defended and the room was silent again.


	7. Eclipse Of Shadows

Catch Me Before I Fall

Eclipse Of Shadows

Caroline tried to find out what building they were in, checking through the things that were left behind. Jack stayed near Riddick and Shaylon. Shaylon kept slipping in and out of consciousness and Riddick continued to try and give her water to see if she would wake. Johns was discussing with Paris and Imam about the waateer and how much they could take with them when they leave incase they might take some time to get to the next place to stop off.

Shaylon suddenly jumped in her sleep and her eyes shot open, her throat horse as she let out a strangled cough. Jack quickly held the water out to her, but her eyes were closed tightly. When she opened her eyes Jack held it out to her again and she a shaky hand to grasp it. She drank slowly at first, finishing off half the glass before she looked around.

"What'd I miss?" She asked and her voice was rough.

"Nothin much, everyone's just discussing things mostly." Shaylon suddenly looked at him more closely and raised an eyebrow. But she said nothing, just drank down the rest of the water, put the glass down and tried to get up on tired legs. Riddick grabbed her arm and pulled her up faster, causing her to have to lean back again the wall and rest for a moment.

"Don't try to go to fast, you should still be resting as it is." Shazza said and Shaylon nodded slowly. Her head was a bit dizzy, but she just needed to take things slow. Johns kept looking over at her with a quizzical look and it was starting to bug her.

"You got something to say to me then spit it out." She growled and he glared at her, looking away. Riddick chuckled from behind her.

"It looked like these people were advanced geoligists or something." Shazza.

"No, these people were geologists, the things that tried to eat me were 'or something'." Chris said as she looked back down to her waist where there was the red line from earlier.

"At least they were kind enough to leave us a ship." Caroline said as she walked around slightly.

"It's not a ship."

"Either way, why would they just leave it here?" Shazza asked as she sat down.

"These people didn't leave, the same thing that was trying to get Shaylon and got Zeke got them as well." Riddick said as he sighed, knowing that they wouldn't have anything to say after that. The silence that fell across the room was broken when Imam came running in.

"Has anyone seen my son, I cannot find him." Shaylon looked around the room, only two of his sons were with him. Every else did the same and shook their heads. They then heard the sounds of the things again, the odd screaching noises that they had heard before, accompanied by pained screams.

"Anyone check the coring room?" Riddick asked and everyone looked to one another.

Johns shot holes in the door where the lock should have been, where they heard the sounds of the chains jungling. Shaylon stepped forward as Johns broke open the doors, looking around with his gun raised. Imam walked in cautiously, looking around for his son, but they couldn't see him. He continuously called his name, but there was no response.

Shaylon walked in as well, looking around the room. It was pretty dark, probably not the best place to be in. She watched as Imam looked around for his son before her eys traveled to the roof that must have been opened before they had gotten there. She suddenly heard the same screaches again and something tug her backward as she was hauled out of the coring room and the doors were closed.

She looked back to see it was Riddick who had pulled her back, one of his large arms that were around her waist. Johns opened the doors again and they saw the things flying through the air, past them before the disappeared down what looked from where she was to be a large pipe.

"Did those things have tails?" Everyone turned to look at her and she scowled, "I was just making sure it wasn't a tongue or something!" She growled as she released herself from Riddick's hold.

"Imam?" Caoline asked as she looked over to wher the man was crawling toward the doors that had flown open, he was wimpering and Shaylon saw why. She had to stop herself from gagging when she saw the eaten and skinned face of his son. Riddick pulled her away when he saw her face pale and she coudn't look away from the dead body. She let herself be drug away and Imam covered his son with a cloth, choking on tears.

Shaylon leaned forward over the pipe like tunnel, looking down into the darkness. Johns had dropped a flare down it so she could easily see the bones of people inside. She grimanced as she scanned over it to see if she could see the creature but they had probably already found somewhere to hide in the tunnels beneath them that they couldn't see or get to.

She bit back a yelp when Riddick looped a finger into her belt and pulled her back, worrying that she might fall forward into the darkness and get a chance of one of those things having another go at her. She stayed back after that, not wanting Riddick to haul her off or something. He took her place and looked over the side, knowing that he had a much better chance of staying up then her.

"A couple of the buildings weren't secure, they ran in here and locked all the door." Riddick said as he looked over to Johns and Caroline. "But they forgot to lock to celar."

"That thing's a celar?" Shaylon whispered to herself, and she saw Riddick glance back at her slightly, a single eyebrow raised. She gave him a look saying 'What the fuck are you looking at?'.

"Well these bastards seem to stick to dark, so if we stay in the light I think we should be good." Johns said and Shaylon began to laugh.

"If only it were that easy." She said as she leaned back against the wall.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I got bored and started to look around, and I found this..." She held up a compact laptop and Johns stepped toward her but she back away from him, walking from the wall to the door. "It's not what I can do with it, but what I found on it. Someone had been keeping up a journal in this, and they were talking about the creatures." she explained as she sat down and placed the laptop in her lap. "It's full, so whoever used this must have charged it right before they died."

"How does any of this have to do with us?" Johns asked, getting irratated.

"Just wait a second and I'll tell ya." she said as she typed something into the computer with mad skill. "They have files here, all about what they knew. They were even so kind as to make us a list:

Meat eaters stays in the dark can very in size, from the size of a bird to that of a building burns int he contact of light makes loud noises like sonar" she suddenly stopped and her fingers worked away again, and Shazza shook her head, getting a headache from watching the hacker go at it. "Here we are-"

"Would you get to the point-"

"Exactly 20 years ago was the last time this computer was every turned on, in here it is dated that there was an eclipse 20 years ago, one that would last for months if not longer. There is an eclipse every 20 years." She said and looked over to Johns.

"What are you talking about?"

"What are you, that stupid John-"

"There's an eclipse every 20 years! the last eclipse was 20 years ago! We can't say in the light because very soon there won't BE any light!" She suddenly yelled, surprising Riddick at how loud her voice could actually go. "I suggest you do what you can to get that ship working and fast, because if you can't, heads are gunna roll."

"How can you prove any of this?" Johns asked.

"There's a scale in here, but there's a more hands on model. Ask her, she knows what I'm talking about." Shaylon said as she cocked her head towrd Caroline. Caroline nodded in understanding and walked out, Johns and the others fallowing, leaving Riddick and Shaylon.

"How much longer do we really have." Riddick asked as he walked up behind her.

"It's not that accurate, but very, very soon." She said as she looked back up at him, surprised that he had knelt forward and their faces were inches apart when she turned her head.

"How good are you with ships?" Riddick asked and she raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Piloting, or machanics?" She asked back and this time it was Riddick's turn to smirk.

"How about, power systems?"


	8. I Don't Want To Die

Catch Me Before I Fall

I Don't Want To Die

Shaylon slipped onto the ship while the others were still off checking out the model that Caroline was going to show them. Riddick came up behind her as she began to fiddle with cords and wires, hooking things up to her new found computer and turned it back on, files opening and beeps reaching his ears.

Her fingeres glidded over the keys with mad skill, the clicking reaching his ears as she pressed down on them so fast it was almost like a soft hum to his ears. Her blues eyes were fized on the screen, more windows came up and other things closed after hse typed something in. There was suddenly a large blue window on it, reading 'transfer in progress'.

"It might take a while-"

"Any chance you're going to tell me what you're doing exactly?" Riddick asked as he cut her short.

"Fry ain't no genious, I am. I'm using the one power cell and then I'm going to use the electrizity left in the cords to charge everything up, so that way we leave with one big bag." she explained with a smile, before it faded slightly. "But this'll take at least an hour to finally be fully ready, maybe more to be sure." She closed the laptop and hid it where no one could see. "Best they don't know."

She stood quickly, ready to turn around when she stopped, her chest pressed to Riddick's firmly. His arms suddenly came to either side of her and were placed on the wall behind her. His nose glided over her cheek as he inhaled, and Shaylon's eyes closed slowly. His mouth came to her ear as his cheek pressed against hers, his lips brushing her ear when he spoke.

"Are you ready to have their blood on your hands?" he asked in his deep voice and Shaylon's eyes opened to look at him, moving her head back to stare at him. She was silent as she tried to slip under his arms but he suddenly gripped her arms and pulled her back up to face him again. Voices pulled Riddick from his thoughts and he released her, letting her go so that he could walk off. Shaylon followed, not wanting to chance getting caught. She turned to walk somewhere else when she ran into Riddick's hard back.

Catching herself before she fell, she looked up, wondering why he had suddenly stopped like that. She looked past him and she couldn't stop herself when her jaw suddenly dropped. There was the plannet, coming up in the horizon. Shaylon walked forward so that she was standing next him now.

"We're running out of time." she mumbled, knowing that he could hear her fine.

----------------------------------------------

Shaylon slipped around inside of a building, looking around to make sure nothing jumped out and eats her. She couldn't find anymore supplies, she had found the laptop in here, but everything else was old and worn and of no use to her anyway. She huffed, before she suddenly heard the engine of the sand cat being started.

"They ain't gunna wait for you." Riddick said from behind her, making the young woman jump and glare at him.

He grabbed her shirt and pulled her along with him toward where the sand cat was. He released her shirt before jumping down, landing behind a started Paris. Who jumped and mumbled something about loosing him, Shaylon looked down. She was a hacker, a machanic, and all around mechanical genious, but she was not good at jumping. Riddick motioned for her to jump and she glared at him again. He sighed and held his arms up, motioning her again. Shaylon rolled her eyes and crouched, before the jumped from her perch. Riddick grasped her hips before before her feet touched the surface, placing her down gently.

"Such a gentlman." she said as she smirked, him sending a light glare at her from her mocking tone. "but thanks." Shaylon leaned up again the side of the sand cat as Shazza kicked it into forward. Johns jumped on quickly, pretty much running into Riddick in the process. She was to busy glaring at Johns to notice the on coming bones that were low enought to scape the roof. Riddick used her long hair to pull her down before her head was taken off, earing him another glare on her part.

----------------------------------------------

Everyone quickly started to pile off of the sand cat and run toward the crash. Shaylon watched as Riddick disappeared inside, alone with the others, Paris ran toward another part of the ship, telling us not to leave him. Jack ran forward, watching the sun as it became more and more behind the other planet, hiding the light. Shaylon's eyes widened and she looked down at the solar power engine, it was beginning to slow down.

"We're screwed." She said and moved when Jack tried to wipe the glass clean, hoping it would help with letting more light at it. No luck. The blades stopped moving, and Shaylon looked jumped off of the sand cat to watch as the sun continued to disappear. Riddick and Johns were standing a bit further up, and she could hear Johns ask how many their were.

She was confused for a moment before she heard the loud things screeching as the things flew up into the sky, making a funnel of dark. She could see Riddick say something, but it was to quiet to hear. Everyone was looking up at them now, totaly distracted by the sight before them.

"This is just a suggesion, but perhaps you should RUN!" Paris yelled, getting everyone moving, but Shaylon. She was frozen, her mind flashing back to the huge thing that was in the bone yard. Her feet wouldn't move, she saw the huge sharp teeth.

"Shaylon!" Riddick yelled, but she couldn't hear him. Riddick ran to her, tossing her onto his shoulder and beginning to run. Shaylon quickly grabbed onto the back of his shirt, her eyes shutting in pain when his shoulder dug into her gut. He ran quickly, behind Shazza, with Shaylon trembling on his shoulder.

"Get down!" Caroline yelled, and Shaylon was about to scream when she saw the things flying down toward them. Riddick leapt to the ground, slamming Shaylon onto her back, knocking the air right out of her. Riddick quickly covered her eyes when those things flew over them, then over Shazza. Shaylon was trembling beneath Riddick and her heart was pounding blood through her body with an extreme force. She struggled to breathe for a moment before she could finally get a breath in.

Riddick looked up to see Shazza getting to her feet, Jack yelling at her to get back down. Shaylon turned her head and looked over, bad timing. The creatures tore at her, ripping flesh and tearing her apart. She tried to get up and run, but was stopped when the things came back at her again with more force, tearing her in two, earning a scream of pain from her. Riddick could feel Shayon inhale, ready to scream herself when he looked back down to her.

Her breath caught and Riddick pulled her to her feet, trying to stop her from shaking. When she wouldn't walk Riddick pulled her onto his shoulder again and hauling her toward the others. Caroline was standing out watching where the things were still coming from. Riddick used his free hand and lifted his goggles, looking out toward them. Shaylon had her face buried in between Riddick's shoulder blades and her breathing was uneven.

"What is it Riddick?"

"Like I said, it's not me you should be worried about." He said, before placing Shaylon on her feet and lifting her inside. She leaned against the wall while the door was closed and sealed. The others turned on some flashlights and she tried to calm her heard, taking in deep breaths. But she would always follow it Riddick was about to walk away, not wanting to leave his side.

"She should have stayed down, she would have been alright." Jack complained.

"Are you alright, your shaking like crazy?" Caroline asked as she came up beside Shaylon, who just shook her head and jumped when there were thudding on the side of the wall and making the loud high noises. She shrunk back to the ground and took her head in her hands.

"I'm a hacker, I can take the most complicated machinery apart and put it back together in the best condition, I do not deal with things that want to eat me!" Shaylon ground out, her fists pounding the ground beneath her. Her blue eyes were fixed ahead of her and her body was quivering slightly.

"Stop your yellin'!" Johns yelled as he walked toward her, but stopped when Riddick stepped in front of him. Shaylon just stared at th ground, her eyes dulled and lifeless. She suddenly shivered and sighed, closing her eyes. She hadn't shivered from the cold, that was for sure.

"Leave her be, I know that everyone here is a little shaken, even you..." Riddick said as his voice trailed off when there was a rattling down the hall way. Everyone went silent and turned toward it, watching and listening carefully. The rattling sounded again and Shaylon felt her blood run cold.

"Come on Johns, you're the one with the big gage, take a look." Riddick said, not taking his eyes off of the shadows.

"I'd rather fuck your girlfriend here, why don't you go fuckin' check?" Johns countered and Riddick growled but was interupted when Paris stood abruptly.

"I'm not staying in here-"

"Paris where are you going, you don't know what's out there-"

"Well I know what's in here." He interupted and tried to get away, Shaylon's teeth snapped shut and everyone began to try and hold Paris back and the hole small clearing they were in began to break out. Imam broke open a piece of the wall into another room, everyone piling in.

"Oh, great, a smaller space to die in." Paris muttered in a choked voice. Jack pulled Shaylon along with them, knowing that she was so dead at the moment she wouldn't come with them without someone bringing her. Riddick was last in and watched as Shaylon leaned against a wall and sighed once more.


	9. Maybe, We Have Enough Light

Catch Me Before I Fall

Maybe, We Have Enough Light

Everyone looked around in the space they were in now, wondering if there was anything that could be useful. Shaylon tried to calm herself, her heart beating strongly. She rested her head back against the wall and watched the others, before screaming loudly. Every looked over to her and saw a spike sticking out of the wall beside her head. She bolted forward into Riddick, her heart throbbing wildly.

Riddick used the lighter that Paris had to light the cutting tourch, one arm wrapped around Shaylon's waist as he used the cutting torch to cut the wall open, Shaylon feeling the heat of the flame against her skin. She glared against it, but before hse knew it, Riddick had gotten through the wall, kicking it away. Walking in, hauling her behind him, Riddick used the torch as a light just in case there were any inside to stay away.

He let her go and walked deeper, letting Caroline take the torch. Shaylon looked around slowly, taking slow steps around, but always staying within the light from the torch and flashlights. She saw Riddick walk off, but this time she didn't chance going after him, but instead remained around the others. She also saw one of Imam's sons disappear, but he was gone before hse could remind him about the things and shadows.

She took a slightly chance to walk forther, coming to look around at the other area's. She was quiet, she was trying to be quiet but didn't quite see why because they couldn't hear her walking, they could hear at all. They had found their meals from the sounds they made, she was able to figure that out easily.

Her heart stopped when she heard the familiar sounds they made, as well as Riddick's deep voice as he said something not to far from her. She dared not move. The others must have heard him as well because they stopped burning the hole they were making.

"Riddick!?" Caroline called out, pointing a flashlight to look, trying to see where he was.

"Just don't stop burning." He said back, and his voice sounded odd, like he was struggling to talk or something.

Shaylon watched as Caroline handed Johns the torch so that he could continue burning and she used her handlight to look around. Shaylon tried to adjust her eyes to see if she could see what was happening but she couldn't. But her eyes were good enough to see when Imam's son ran, before there was a disgusting tearing sound and she felt her stomach wretch. The other must have heard it as well, because they all turned the lights that was, right before there was a screach.

Shaylon flinched when she saw Riddick running toward her, but her eyes widened when she saw the creature that there running after him. Riddick saw her standing there, then saw the others standing behind her. He quickly jumped toward her, knocking her backward, right before Johns open fired at it. They both hit the ground, Riddick's weight knocking the air out of her lungs. Johns continued to fire at the thing, while the others followed it with the light.

Shaylon got her breath back and groaned, her back was starting to hurt, from being thown down so many time. Even when she had been running to get away from Johns, she hadn't gotten herself into this much pain. The ground shook when the creature fell, dead. Then other jumped when it fell in front of them, while Shaylon sighed in relief, glad there was one less in here to worry about.

Riddick got up off of Shaylon and she propped herself up on her elbows, shaking her head as her hair had fallen in her eyes. Riddick helped her back up to her feet and she hissed when she moved her upper body when she went to turn, a loud crack sounding and some turned to look at her but she just flipped them off. She was getting so sore. Riddick gently urged her toward the others while he pulled his goggles back over his eyes so they weren't hurt from the light again.

"The light, it actually hurts them. It's burning it's skin." Caroline said as she looked at the creature with her light. Shaylon walked near it slowly, not wanting to chance it being alive. It's claw suddenly fell open and she stepped back again, right into Riddick. But the thing didn't move again, and she walked away from it, glaring the whole time.

"Where's my son?" Imam asked as he looked at Riddick, but he said nothing.

"We'll burn a candle for him later, come on." Johns said as he moved back toward the hole he had been cutting, kicking the metal out of the way. Shaylon glared at his back, before following the others behind him.

------------------------------------------------------

"So we have a cutting torch, and two hand lights." Caroline asked, looking at their things. "There's got to be something we can find here in the crash ship."

"Spirits, I've got alot that burn pretty well." Paris said, offering up what he knew.

"How many exactly?"

"I'm not sure, I would have to check." He said back.

"Ok, and Johns' got some flares." Caroline said as she looked over to him for approval. "So, maybe we have enough light."

"Enough light for what exactly?" Johns asked as he looked over at her lazily.

"We stick to the original plan, we're going to get the four cells back to the ship." Caroline said in a sharp tone, "We're off this rock."

"Hate to ruin the beautiful moment with a rotten fact, but that sand cat is solar. It's not going to work at night." Paris said and Caroline sighed, looking over to Shaylon.

"You're a machanical genious, can't you make it so it runs on something else?"

"Yea, I can make it run on power cells-"

"Great-"

"But I would need at least an hours time, light to take everything apart, the proper tools and I would need time to get to know the system so I know what to keep and what I can remove." She said and Caroline's shoulders dropped. "Sorry, but there's nothing I can do in a total hurry, even the best people need time." she said as she got up. "Best luck we got, carry them, drag them."

"You mean tonight, while those things are still out there?" Jack asked, his voice trembling.

"Now just how long can this last, couple hours, maybe a day tops." Johns said as he put his hands on his hips, reminding Shaylon of an upset housewife.

"Nope, were you paying any attention. The grid, that model with the planets, they moved together..." Shaylon said as she looked over to him with a serious look.

"...It will be ever lasting darkness." Imam finished after she had trailed off.

"No, there's 3, these sun's got to come up sometime." Johns testified, "And if these things can't some out in the light, then we'll just sit tight, wait till the sun comes up."

"I'm sure they said the same thing, sitting in that coring room..."

"...Just waiting to die." Shaylon mumbled.

"Now's when we need to think about everyone. Certainly Jack, what's that poor boy goin' to do out there in that dark with those things." Johns defended and Shaylon looked over to Jack, knowing that he must have hated when he just brought him into things like that.

"Don't use him like that." Caroline nearly growled.

"Like what?" Johns countered.

"Like your smoke screen, just admit it that you're scared to go out there, not only him." Caroline accused and Shaylon held back a grin. Johns, scared.


	10. Big, Teeth, Sharp

Catch Me Before I Fall

Big, Teeth, Sharp

Shaylon watched as Johns and Caroline snapped back and forth at each other, Johns spitting out swear word after swear word and Caroline's voice raising higher and higher. She watched as Johns hand twitched toward his gun, that was when she had had enough. Getting to her feet abruptly, she didn't realize what she had done until her fist connected with Johns' nose. Someone grabbed her around her waist and lifted her away, leaving a dazed Johns to stare up at her.

"Go to hell Johns!" She yelled as Riddick pulled her back again. Caroline just watched Johns, who was checking to make sure his nose wasn't bleeeding.

"Go Shaylon!" Jack said as a smile crossed his face, making Caroline shake her head.

"This solves nothing." Imam muttered and Shaylon shook her head.

"I don't agree, shut him up didn't she. We leave for the stiff, so get what you need, we're off this rock." Caroline said Shaylon raised an eyebrow, shaking her sore knuckles.

"Are you sure you can get us there, in the dark?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No, I don't. But he can." Everyone turned to look at Riddick, who was keeping a firm hold on the back of Shaylon's belt. He could smell her anger and irritation earlier and knew that she was dangerious when she was pissed, so it was best not to take any chances.

"Hope no one's afraid of the dark."

----------------------------------------------------

Caroline used the torch to light that darkness as she looked arond to make sure that the coast was clear so that they could walk to the crash and get more cells. Everyone began to pile out from the ship. Johns with his gun up, and Riddick wearing his goggles. Shaylon and Jack were walking close to one another, Shaylon having to lean over so that she was the same height as him.

"How long will it take for us to get their walking in the dark?" Jack asked as he looked to Shaylon.

"I have no clue, ask Fry, or Riddick, but I don't know." She said back, not taking her eyes off of the area around her. Jack nodded and looked ahead of him once more, too.

Everyone stopped as Caroline began to move forward, trying her best to check for anything wrong with the ship. She turned back and motioned for Riddick to take a better look, lifting his goggles as he approached. Shaylon watched as he looked around at the ship, but not venturing inside. After a couple moments he turned to the others again.

"Looks clear." He mummbles and Johns advanced, but quickly hit the dirt when a creature flew out, nearly taking their heads off.

"You said clear!" Johns accused.

"I said it looked clear." He deffended.

"Well what's it looked like now?" he asked and Riddick looked up again, his goggles still lifted.

"Looks clear." He said as Shaylon could detect something in his voice that just made her grin slightly in amusment.

Everyone was gathering as much light as possible, getthing the path light from the walk aways on the ship, getting hand lights and lighters and anything that was able to produce light. Shaylon and Jack were able to slip around and squirm into places others couldn't and were asked to check out the storage ducks above. Shaylon moved the grate aside and hoisted herself up so that she could look in with just her head, holding a hand light with her. Jack came up beide her and they both searched around, Jack suddenly screamed and ducked down, Shaylon looking over to see why. There were three right there, that appeared to be sleeping, or at least they were.

they looked over to her and screeched, causing her to scream. She felt someone grab her ankle, hauling her back down from the storage. She let out a muffled "oof" when she landed with her back against Riddick's chest. But with all the light that they had on in the room those things were sure to stay where they were.

"Big....Teeth....Sharp." She mummbled and Riddick helped her her back onto her feet. "If I live through this, the first thing I'm going to do is find SOME WAY to blow this god damn planet apart!" She growled as she picked her handlight back up and marched off toward the area of where the others were. Riddick chuckled and glanced one more time toward where those things were before he followed the others.

"I'll be walking about 10 paces ahead, I want light on my back but now in my eyes. Check your cuts, these bad boys know our blood, and they want more." Riddick said as he blocked the light from his eyes, Shaylon tensing at the mention of them knowing their blood. That's just creepy.


	11. Distraction

Catch Me Before I Fall

Distraction

Shaylon sat leaning against a wall, the others were gathering the last of the lights. She looked around the room she was in, everyone else was in the other room, the min one with the most light. She sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. She was so tired, not having slept and there being no more water. She didn't even hear when Riddick slipped inside the room.

"You sure you're ready for this?" He asked, making Shaylon jump.

"God, I didn't even hear you." She mummbled as she closed her eyes again. "No, I'm not ready to do this, but I ain't stayin' here." She huffed as she relaxed again, though never entirely.

"How could someone like you ever survive on your own?" He asked as he walked closer to her. Shaylon laughed lightly.

"Well, the worst I had to worry about then was guns, not teeth and claws." She countered as seh slowly used the wall to get to her feet. "And, I'll probably be glad to have just guns being fired at me again if I get out of this hell alive." She straightened and opened her eyes, about to leave, but Riddick was standing right in front of her, his face right before hers.

"How long have you been on your own, Shay?" He asked quietly and she let out a quick breath.

"I'vew been one the run since I was seventeen, at first it was just teen lock ups, but then once I came to be adult age they locked me away like they would every other cold hearted chriminal." She explined in a shaky voice.

"What was the first crime you ever committed?" He asked. He was trying to get her mind off of what they were about to do, about the creatures, about her could-be-death in the near future. He was leaned toward her now, placing his hands on the wall on either side of her shoulders. Leaning his head in as well so that his cheek brushed against hers.

"I hacked into the files of every student record in my school, anad erased everything, records, personal information. Everything was wiped." She muttered quietly as her eyes closed. Her breathing was speeding up now as she could smell his strong sent to close to her, his ripped chest agaist her own, his arms closing her in. "Riddick....what-what are you doing?" She gasped out when he brushed his nose along her jaw and took a deep breath of her sent.

"Beautiful...." He mummbled quietly and a shiver went to Shaylon's spine at the sound of his deep voice right in her ear.

"Riddick." She gasped out one more time as his lips then trailed over her jaw line, moving toward her eyes were still closed when she felt Riddick's breath on her lips, just the ghost of pressure. He pressed closer to her as his lips finally met hers. Shaylon felt an elecric shock shoot through her body as he forced his lips onto hers, though she wasn't about to protest.

Her hands lifted from her sides and brought them up to grasp the sides of his shirt, almost digging her nails into his flesh. She tilted her head to the side slightly as she pressed closer to him. His hands slid along the wall, being her back, and pulled her body flushed against his own as he continued the kiss.

Shaylon soon felt herself in need of air and pulled back gasping. Her forehead leaned against Riddick's and she could feel his googles were lifted up. Her body was shaking slightly as she leaned against him, and Riddick sniffed her lightly, smelling her feminine sent. His body suddenly stilled.

"You're bleeding." He said and Shaylon opened her eyes to look curiously at him.

"W-what?" She asked shakily as she pulled away slightly.

"Your stomach." Riddick looked down to her stomach and saw the slice from when the creatures had tried to pull her into the cavern that Zeke died in, it was bleeding, to really heavy, but it was still bleeding.

"I-I didn't even-" She gasped as her hands came to her stomach, but Riddick grabbed her wrists before she could cover the wound.

"You'll just smere the blood." He kneeled in front of her and ripping off a part of her vest, he dabbed at the blood, letting it seep into the cloth. She hissed slightly at the stinging felling it caused, but other then that was silent. Most of the blood was ole, almost dry, so the bleeding was prety much already stopped.

"Will they come for me now?" She asked as she watched him as he wiped the blood from the are of the wound.

"Can you keep a secret?" He asked as he looked back up at her. When she nodded, giving him an odd look, he continued.

"They're all going after Jack."

"But Jack's not bleeding, he doesn't have any cuts." Shaylon defended, and Riddick shook his head.

"He's not cut, but he's bleeding, or should I say, she's bleeding." He watched her face as it went from confusion, to understanding, to disbeliefe, to shock, to horror.

"Oh my god, she's on her..." Shaylon trailed off as she finally spoke.

"Exactly, they want her blood, and this is one thing that we can't bandage up." Riddick made sure that the bleeding on her stomach had stopped before he stood up again. "We're just going to have to keep an eye on her."

"Do the others know, about Jack?"

"No, the only way I knew is because I could smell it." He explained and she nodded her head, her face still a mask of emotion. "They go off of blood, so we're going to have to be careful. Make sure she's stays close to the sled, close to the light."

"I'll do my best." Shaylon said doubfully, as though she thought that this was something that she really wasn't ready to deal with. Riddick moved up to her again, being careful of her stomach, and tilted her head up to look at him.

"As long as we stay in the light, we'll be ok. You'll be ok." He assured and she nodded her head shakily, not entirely believing him. Riddick leaned forward so that his lips were to her ear, and whispered in a husky voice. "Trust me." His burried his nose in her hair and could smell her sent so strongly there. Shaylo let her eyes close again and leaned her head back to rest on the wall.

Riddick took this as an offering and his lips found there way to her throat, placing a light kiss over her pulse, another just below it. She shivered slightly at his movements and tilted her head to the side slightly. Riddick kissed his way to the crook of her neck and bit down slightly on the flesh there. Shaylon jumped but didn't preotest against his actions, instead, she let out a light growl. Riddick growled in response and she could feel the vibrations travel through her body.

"I didn't know you could do that." She mummbled and he could fell the vibrations in her thought as she spoke. He smirked from her words and growled again, bitting down on her shoulder a second time.

"There are alot of things you don't know about me...."

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**Sorry that I haven't Updated in forever, but with school and so many tests. My dad it totally on my back about my math. Why does an artist even need to learn math, what is the POINT!?**

**Anyway, hope you like it, sorry if it's short, I'll try not to take so long with the next chapter! I better NOT get any flames, and hope I WILL get some reviews!**


	12. Stay In The Light

Catch Me Before I Fall

Stay in The Light

Shaylon clutched tightly to the corded lights that they had retrieved from the ship, which she was presently standing in the doorway of. Riddick was about a yard or two ahead, his back to them. They had all wrapped the cords of light around the cells, then put the rest of the lights around the cells in containers found around the ship. They had two people in the front, Imam and Johns, pulling on chains attached to the sled the cells were on. The rest were along the sides and back. Everyone was wearing the cords around the bodies. Everyone was afraid.

Shaylon looked toward Jack, who was holding onto her cords tightly, the tendons in her knuckles becoming visible every time she tightened her grip. Her face was masked in fear, and it was then that she wondered how it was that she wasn't able to tell that she was a female before. She had a strangely soft looking face for a boy, and her fear made that more prominent. But she would have to ponder on that more later.

Riddick began the pace, even, but hurried. Everyone followed, letting the adrenaline coursing through them allow them to be able to stay at that pace. Shaylon would look down at the sled every once and a while, checking that none of the lights had been lost from the shaking and rocking that the sled was caused from the run. The different sources of light were jostling around inside their containers, but so far none seemed to have gone missing.

Riddick kept further up, making sure not to have light in his eyes. Shaylon could see as he continuously looked around them, forward. He was clearly seeing that beasts that were no doubt there, waiting for one of them to trip and lose the light. But the way that everyone was gripping onto their cords, there didn't seem to be and chance of that happening. Tripping, maybe, but losing their light. Very slim.

Slowing the pace a moment, everyone began to begin a walk, but refused to stop. Jack was swinging the light around in her hands as she looked for anything that may be coming up on her. She knew that they would smell her blood and come for her first, that was a given. And knowing that, she was more jumpy than she had been in her life, and she had grown up on a hard life. Everyone heard a sudden flicker and looked back to see that the torch Paris had been holding was no longer alight, and his face was masked in fear. Jack held back a whimper of fear, once more darting to look around, while Shaylon kept a close eye on the young girl. She had promised Riddick she would watch her.

"Stay close." Imam said from the front, before he turned and continued to pull the sled by the chains. Everyone moved to walk closer to the sides and back of the sled, Jack and Paris nearly jumping onto it. Shaylon made sure to keep her eyes ahead, to Riddick. She seemed to be able to control her fear a bit as she remembered his words to her in the small room on the wrecked ship.

"_As long as we stay in the light, we'll be okay. You'll be okay."_

How she wished that she could believe him so much at this one moment, but she really didn't think that was possible. Shaken from her thought, she saw Jack lifting her lights off her body as she called them to wait a moment. She looked around to try and find what the girl was going for and saw one of the small hand-lights had fallen from a container.

"Jack!" Shaylon called, moving to remove her own lights. The call of one of the creatures had her momentarily frozen, as well as everyone else. As she saw Johns lift his gun, she threw her lights onto the sled and dove toward Jack, right as the young girl grabbed the light and pulled her to the ground with her just as Jonhs' shots rung through the otherwise silent air. Shaylon could feel as the air rushed over her when the beast flew over them, trying to escape its death.

All chaos broke out as another one dove after Paris, causing the man to tumble back and begin to crawl away. She watched as the generator for the lights was ripped off the sled and sparks flew as it was drug across the ground because of Paris. She watched as they were as masked in darkness as the lights faded, all but the ones on Riddick's back. Shaylon stayed very still as she waited for a light to appear, for something to happen. A green flare caused her heart to jump and she hurriedly helped Jack to her feet and back into the circle of light. Everyone grabbed a flare and used one to light all of them. The bottles only held so much alcohol in each, and they were sure to run out faster than anyone may hope.

"Well it's always good to see you're okay." Johns snapped sarcastically as Riddick stepped back into the ring of light that they had created. Shaylo looked up from where Imam was lighting her flare. She looked up when she heard Riddick's heavy footwalls, catching his bright glowing eyes. She couldn't help but stand still and just watch as he walked slowly around Johns, his eyes never leaving her own. Her heart leapt in her chest, and she knew that she took Johns words in a literal sense.

"Can we pick up the pace?" Fry yelled to Riddick at the front, he had stopped as he crouched low to the ground, his eyes staring straight ahead at something that none of them could see. Imam nudged Johns and pointed toward the front of the sled, where there were sled tracks in the dirt and rocks, identical to their own. They were their own.

"You wanna tell me just what the hell's going on here?" Johns asked as he walked up toward Riddick, some of the others doing the same.

"What is the meaning of this?" Imam asked as he came up on Riddick's other side. "Do you even know where we are?!" Riddick got to his feet to fast the holy man took a step back in fright.

"Listen!" Riddick yelled, though never turned to look at Imam, or else he would have gotten the lights of the other in his eyes. "Listen." Everyone quietly, listening, just as he had said to. There were distant sounds of creature screeching, calling out. Echoing. "Canyon ahead. I circled once to buy some time to think."

"I think we should go now." Imam rushed, trying to get Riddick to just agree with him. But the convict had no intention to make an agreement about walking into his own death, as well as leading some of the others into theirs. Usually he wouldn't care, but there was one certain person he had made a promise to. And though he was a killer, he wasn't one to double cross an innocent.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that. That's death row up there; especially with the girl bleeding." They immediately looked to Shaylon and Fry, and with Shaylon being the only one who had been previously hurt, they all gravitated toward her.

"You didn't tell us you were bleeding?" Johns accused, and Shaylon's jaw dropped as she stood frozen at the accusation. She overcame that soon though, and took a breath as she prepared to scream at Johns for him idiotic behaviour, when his baritone voice cut her off.

"Not her." Riddick said as he stepped in front of Shaylon, with her and Johns on either side of him, looking and facing Jack. "Her." Everyone stood in confusion for a moment, aside from Shaylon and Riddick, before it finally clicked. Fry began a rant of how foolish she was to think that it was a good idea, while Jack began to shake heavily and crouched low to the ground in fear.

"Hey, lay off Fry!" Shaylon yelled, grabbing the other woman's arm, causing her to shut up as she looked up at Shaylon with fear. Fear? Shaylon had never been feared for her physical appearance or attitude, so why now?

"You going to kill me, Shadow?" She asked; her voice dropping.

"Don't temp me to take me first life with you, Fry." Shaylon's voice was so deep with hate and malice that even Riddick was shocked, and pleased, at the sound of it. Shaylon released Fry's arm, after giving one last squeeze to leave a bruise, before she walked over to Jack. Riddick's eyes never left her person as she crouched next to the younger girl, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Look, this is not going to work." Fry finally said, getting everyone to look to her. She paused, trying to think of what to say next. "We're going to have to go back." She mumbled, watching as Johns tensed, before he turned to look at her over his shoulder, what seemed to be a murderous look in his eyes as he did so. Shaylon feared what he may do next.

"What'd you say?" Fry said nothing as she merely looked his in the eyes, trying not to seem frightened by him. "You're the one who got us stuck out here in the first place, turning us into sled dogs." Johns accused as he began to walk toward her.

"I was wrong, I admit it. Can we just get back to the ship?"

"I don't know, Carolyn, wide open space, nice breeze, I'm starting to enjoy my fucking self out here." Johns finally snapped, motioning to the area around him. Shaylon and Jack got back to their feet and Riddick took an unnoticed step closer to the woman.

"Are you high again?" Fry asked, taking a bold step toward the merc. "Just listen to yourself Johns."

"You know, yea your right, what's to be afraid of? My life's a steaming pile of meaningless shit anyhow." He yelled, finally up right at her face, causing the woman to cringe slightly as his breath evaded her senses. "So I say mush on. Canyon's only a couple hundred metres ahead and after that it's skiff city. So why don't you butch up or stuck a fucking cork in this kid and let's go-"

Shaylon temper snapped out of place again and she made a lunge for Johns, but Riddick was faster and had an arm around her waist and was carrying her a couple yards in the opposite direction before she knew it, her screaming and kicking the whole way, shouting curses at the 'cop'.

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**Please, everyone forgive me for not having this chapter out sooner, and that it's so short, but I've got a huge ISU and exams are getting close. Please just don't hate me if I can't update for a while again. But, Reviews are always welcome!**


	13. Haunted By Our Pasts

**Catch Me Before I Fall**

**Haunted by Our Pasts**

Johns had moved up to walk with Riddick, talking to him and that left Shaylon back with the group as she glared daggers at his back. She truly just wished the Riddick would do the son of a bitch in already, or she would for him. She also knew that with him and Riddick alone and Johns clearly trying to persuade Riddick into doing something that would benefit him, like killing Jack.

"This isn't good," Shaylon mumbled as she looked over to Jack, getting a small nod back from the other girl. She may have been young, but Jack was smart enough to know when she was in danger. That was why she had pretended to by a guy, her own instinct to stay safe.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Imam asked, keeping to the front of the sled.

"Whatever it is, it isn't a good thing, I'll tell you that much is for sure." Shaylon mumbled, holding onto her flare tightly. Everyone else was holding spirits, but there wasn't enough so she was left with a green flare like Johns. "Don't walk to close to them, things could get ugly." Everyone slowed their pace slightly, knowing that she was right, with Riddick and Johns things were never peaceful for long.

Shaylon watched as Riddick turned to look toward where they were, and Shaylon's glace caught the silver of his eyes for a split moment, before Johns snapped at him about something and he turned to look forward again. Shaylon's heart dropped from the look, and she stopped dead in her tracks, Jack doing the same. She knew that look, that warning in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Something's about to go down, stay far back, walk more slowly." She replied, getting a glare from Fry.

"What are you talking about, you can't hear them from all the way back here," Fry snapped as she looked at her. Shaylon turned to glare at her, getting her to step back in either fear or shock at the look that she was receiving. A shot rang out through the air, causing many of them to jump from the sound. "Run!" Imam grabbed Shaylon as she moved to try and follow Riddick and Johns, carrying her away from the site of the fight.

"Riddick!" Shaylon yelled as she was tugged off by Imam, her feet leaving the ground as she continued to try and run back to him. More shots continued to ring out through the entire area, echoing off the dead creatures bones and rocks of sand. They came to stop in a deserted area that showed no light of Riddick and Johns' fight, they were too far away. Shaylon gave up the fight, knowing better than to run off into the darkness like an idiot and end up getting eaten.

Everyone in the group, excluding Shaylon, was waving their flames around like they were just waiting for Riddick to jump out of the shadows covered in blood. Shaylon was standing still, holding her flare in her hands as she stood within the light so that she didn't get snapped at from one of the creatures. Taking in a deep breath, she waited. Riddick wasn't going to die, he was too strong, to calm and to skilled of a killer to be killed by someone like a bounty hunter.

A hand at the base of her throat caused her to tense up, but she recognised the rough, hot feel and relaxed again, but only slightly. Fry noticed the large, dark figure behind Shaylon and went still, just as the others all did. Shaylon could feel the rumbling that vibrated through Riddick body when he began to speak.

"Back to the ship, huh? Just huddle together until the lights go out?" Riddick's voice was harsh as he kept his hand at the base of Shaylon's throat. She kept herself still, knowing the threat that was truly within that hand placement, but she couldn't bring herself to fear him. "Until you can't see what's eating you? Is that the big plan?"

"Where's Johns?" Imam asked carefully.

"Which half?" He asked with a mock in his voice that had Shaylon shivering. She knew it, there was no way that he would leave the other male to live.

Jack made a small whimpering sound that had everyone turned toward her, "We're going to lose everyone out here." Jack mumbled as she clutched her bottle of her spirit, "We should have stayed at the ship."

"He died fast," Riddick said as he walked around Shaylon, his hand sliding from the base of her throat across her collarbone and shoulder. "We can only hope that we're as lucky," He continued as he walked over toward Jack, his eyes lingering on her scared face. "Don't you cry for Johns, don't you dare."

Shaylon walked around one of the bones on the creatures, her hand still clutching the green flare. It would run out soon and she would have no other light, but she knew that that was fate, and she would use it in any way that she could. Stepping around the white and yellow statue like figure, she glared at the sharp razor teeth, her gut tightening. She was really hoping that she didn't encounter any of the huge massive creatures that she and Riddick had ran into when they had come into the massive graveyard, and hid within the bones.

Running her hand along one of the creature's jaws, she couldn't help but take a moment to marvel that the body that seemed to have been made perfectly for killing. Its head had a large T shaped bone that kept it safe from front attacks, large deadly teeth and claws, with a sonar way to find anything and everything in the dark. Looking over the gnarled skeleton one more time, she let out a sigh. Looking out into the darkness, she knew they were nearby, she knew they would always be watching.

"You should be with the group."

Shaylon held back a scream as she jumped, looking over her shoulder at the burly man that had saved her countless times. He had his goggles on once more and seemed almost relaxed in the quiet area, where he didn't have to worry about preventing people from getting killed for the moment. Usually he was the one doing said killing.

"They don't want me in on their petty discussions, Fry told me to take a walk," she replied coldly as she looked toward the area where most of the light was coming through the darkness like a beckon. The group had all clustered together and begun to talk only a moment before Fry told Shaylon to leave, less than politely, while Jack tried to protest.

"I got the felling you two have some bad blood between you," Riddick said as his breath caressed her cheek. An involuntary trembled shook her back and shoulders as she looked at him from the corner of her eye. She could see her own reflection in his goggles, the bright green flare masking half of her face in shadow. She wanted to see his eyes again, but she didn't want to hurt them with the light.

"Bad blood doesn't begin to explain it." Turning to walk away from the alluring male, Shaylon looked down at what was left of her flare. She needed to make an exchange in a couple of minutes to one of the Spirits. A rough push against her shoulder shoved her between two of the ribs or the creature and against the spine. She gasped in shock and momentary pain as she looked up, slightly glad that it was only Riddick, but also highly pissed off. "What the fuck-"

His mouth silenced her words as he pulled her into a heated kiss, one of his hands moving to the back of her skull so he held all the control while his other kept her secure to his body. He was leaning heavily on her and preventing her from moving. Her flare gave a dulled thud as it hit the sand, her now free hands moving up to the base of his skull and neck as she pulled him as close as she could. Her lips parted of their own accord, allowing his tongue to venture into her mouth. The kiss was far more demanding than the one in the ship had been and Shaylon could feel her heart pounding violently in her chest while her gut tightened in anticipation. Riddick seemed to growl against her suddenly, the vibrations of the sound making her whole body shiver. The arm that had been around her waist suddenly lowered as he gripped her ass with one hand and pulled her up off her feet, her surprised gasp drowned out by his kiss.

His lips left her own a moment later, allowing her to finally take in a full breath. He kept his hold on the back of her skull as his lips moved down to her neck, biting and sucking as red spots were left in his wake. She made sure that her knees were secure on his hips before she arched her back, pressing their pelvic bones as close as their clothing and belts would allow. Another growl was her reward, causing her to grin almost maliciously and nip at the shell of his ear violently. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but Riddick gave an answering bite in warning to one of the visible tendons on her neck that strained against her skin. Her nails dug into the bare skin of his shaved head, leaving small crescent shapes from her nails.

"You bastard," She purred quietly into his ear, her nails leaving his skin as her hands smoothed over the area that she had inflicted the pain. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to jump as she looked up quickly, her eyes wide in shock and embarrassment. Imam stood a couple of yards away, a Spirit in his hand as he looked over them with dark eyes. Riddick pulled away from her neck and released his hold on her as her knees let go of his hips, her feet touching the ground once more. Her flare was nearly out, barely burning at all as it lay in the sand. No one moved for a moment, all standing still as they wanted.

"Shall we pray together?" Imam finally asked, causing Riddick to turn away and start walking. Shaylon went to retrieve her flare, but Riddick took hold of her hand and pulled her along. It was done anyway. Imam merely followed after them as Riddick walked over to where he had left the cells and a Spirit, sitting down on one of the many large rocks scattered around. Shaylon leaned against the bones behind him as she tried to catch her breath and calm her erratic heart. "I have already prayed with the others...it is painless."

"It's pointless," Riddick countered as he but off his goggles to see better and tied a tight knot on one of the cells.

"Just because you do not believe in God-" Shaylon snorted at that one, turning away when Imam glanced over his shoulder at her. She almost felt bad for the guy, trying to talk to a killer about god and life. "-Does not mean that God does not believe in you."

"Do you think that someone can spend half their life in a slam, with a horse bit in their mouth and not believe?" Shaylon looked down at Riddick from where she leaned, only able to see the back of him. He was still leaning over the ropes and cells, his eyes directed away from the light that was showing from the two Spirits. "You think that someone can start out in some liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and not believe?" Shaylon wasn't sure why the sudden urge to comfort the killer struck her, but she knew that she had better ignore the urge before he snapped her neck. "You got it all wrong, Holy Man, I absolutely believe in God." Shaylon watched as Riddick looked over to Imam, his shined eyes catching in the light. "And I absolutely hate the fucker."

"Amen," Shaylon mumbled, knowing that Riddick could hear her but Imam luckily did not. She knew that he held high beliefs for his god, but she stuck by the philosophy of human evolution instead.

"He is with us, none the less."

"Two of your boys are already dead," Riddick quickly added, abandoning his word for the moment. "How much faith do you have left, Father?" Imam looked at Riddick like he truly wanted to commit one of the worst Sins and kill the man, but he digressed and chose to simply walk away instead, taking his Spirit with him. Shaylon watched as he made his way back toward the others, his small light the only thing keeping him safe. Shaylon turned her attention back to Riddick, whom sat still as a rock as he looked out into the dark. Quietly kneeling behind him, she cautiously wrapped her arm around his shoulders and placed a kiss to the back of his neck in a show of distant comfort.

She could have sworn he nearly purred, the soft growl vibrated her chest through his back as one of his hands took her own and brought it to his lips. She didn't know what it was like to go through a life that Riddick had described, but she knew that life always dealt out shitty hands to certain people. Unfortunately, they got the worst ones.

"I was raped and beaten since I was four," She finally mumbled, feeling Riddick turn his head slightly in her direction. "I was moved from relative to relative until I ran away and ended up in a group home. I was too violent to stay though, I would hurt anyone that tried to so much as lay a finger on me and the government deemed me a threat to society and locked me up in a mental institute until I was fifteen. I broke out and ran away. This old man took me in; he was a computer engineer and taught me everything that he knew. You asked me what I first crime was and I told you it was erasing the school files..." She trailed off as she looked over to the Spirit. "...I lied."

Riddick turned to fast Shaylon didn't realize until her arm fell back against her side. She looked up into Riddick's shined eyes, her gut tightening slightly. His large frame towered over her own as he looked at her closely, almost as though she were someone he had never met before. She let out a shaky breath as she waited for his reaction.

"What was the first crime you ever committed, Shay?" She hesitated to answer for a second, biting her tongue, but those eyes were too hard to deny.

"I killed my father."

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**I know, evil is what I am, leaving off a chapter like that. I've already started the next one, so you won't have to wait too long. Lots of reviews! They are my motivation! I'm on Christmas Break right now so I'll have a lot of time to update my stories.**

**Anyhow, hope you love the chapter. Please sent lots of reviews!**


	14. When The Truth Comes Out

**Catch Me Before I Fall**

**When the Truth Comes Out**

Neither moved, neither spoke, they barely even made eye contact. Shaylon was trying hard not to force herself away from Riddick, not really knowing whether he would be angry at her or not for lying to him. She could look directly into his shined eyes and still see nothing that was going through his mind at that moment, his stoic look not betraying his thoughts in the slightest. She finally pulled back and tried to step away, stumbling along the sand and away from the rock that Riddick had been leaning against only moments before.

A firm hand placed on her stomach pushed her back onto the sand, keeping her carefully placed on the ground so that she couldn't move. Shaylon looked up at Riddick in shock, seeing his shined eyes looked at her closely. She tried to wriggle free, pressing her hand against his chest in an attempt to push him back and away from her.

"Stay still, Shaylon." Doing as ordered, she stilled, looking up into his face once more. She hated that she couldn't read him, or that she couldn't fight against him. All her life she had the upper hand on the people that she was up against, but not with Riddick. He wouldn't let people best him, he would sooner turn himself in than let himself be bested.

"Either kill me or let me go," She snapped as she turned her head to look away from him, into the eternal darkness of a lasting night.

"No third option?" Riddick asked quietly, causing confusion to swirl around within Shaylon's skull. Didn't he just want her to be gone at this point? Then again, he was pinning her to the ground so that she _wouldn't _leave, so she shouldn't have been surprised.

"What third option do I have? I lied to you, aren't you going to rid yourself of me?" Shaylon still didn't meet his eyes, looking out to where she knew that the creatures would be. She shuffled slightly underneath Riddick's weight, but held still again when she heard him growl, of maybe he was just humming slightly in thought.

"In all honesty," Riddick's deep thrum caused her body to shiver without her consent. His breath was hot against her neck as she heard him inhale, the tip of his nose ghosting along her skin in a gentle brush. She felt as hot as ever as she body screamed for the cold of her home planet, but her bones shook with shivers as a response to his action. Her body's reactions were all contradicting each other. "I think," He continued in a lower, almost husky, voice, as his lips brushed her ear. "That it's pretty damn sexy." At his words she finally turned to look at him with wide, confused eyes. She knew that he was a killer, and she also knew that he really didn't think that she could be a killer.

"What?" Her voice held her shock, her wide eyes telling him further that she did not understand his wording. She wasn't sexy, in any way. She had never really been one for sex or any type of relations in the first place. Before Riddick, she had hardly ever even thought about a person in any other way than a liability to her own life and free will. But not anymore, now she saw this man, she saw _Riddick_, as someone much more.

"Never would have pegged the hacker to be a murderer, I can just see it. How'd you do in the old man?" Riddick didn't back off as he spoke to her, his hands only moving from her abdomen and beside her, to up near her shoulder and down to her hip.

"I slit his throat," She mumbled, frozen in shock. Someone that actually didn't care that she had murdered her own flesh and blood? Riddick didn't seem fazed in the slightest as he only hummed in approval, leaning down to place a lingering kiss on her lips.

"I can see it clearly, that blood that would have come. Did you hit the artery?" His lips moved from her own to along her jaw, the slight stubble that had begun to grow on his face scratching at her cheek like sandpaper.

"That's what I was aiming for-" Her words were cut off when he took her upper arms in his hands tightly and pulled her up against him again, his lips smashing down on her own with bruising force. The roughness sparked something inside her that she was positive she had never known, a deep moan beginning in her chest. Their lips moved together as they moved closer, one of Riddick's hands freeing her arm so that he could lift her left leg up onto his hip in order to get them closer.

"Riddick! Shaylon!" Fry's voice cut through the air like a knife, leaving the two killers gasping for air as they both tried to regain their thoughts. Riddick let out one last annoyed growl before he slowly released Shaylon. She got to her feet reluctantly, her body still high wired from the kisses and touching. Brushing the sand from her clothing and hair, she did her best to try and fix her pants so that the sudden wetness didn't bother her too much. Riddick let out a chuckle from behind her as they began to walk, Shaylon holding the Spirit away from him in a generous action that she wasn't even conscious about.

"We're going to finish this later," He mumbled into her ear quietly as they approached the others.

"That almost sounds like a threat."

His deep chuckle caused a sudden tightening in her stomach as she glanced toward him from the corner of her eye. She refrained from jolting in shock when he bit her ear rather violently, although was cautious of her delicate skin. "That's a promise."

The Spirit in her hand didn't help with the fearful tightening in her gut as she looked around the canyon that they now stood in, the one that Riddick had referred to as 'death row' when he confessed to taking more time and circling around. He crouched before the group, clearly thinking about what to do from there so that they all reached the other side safely. Shaylon let Jack lean against her slightly as the younger female trembled in fear, her own hands holding a Spirit up to ward off the evil of the planet. The large globe's darkest secrets.

"Only see one way," Riddick called back as he stood up again, before motioning straight through the main path of the canyon. The creature's calls echoed around them as they all looked into the dark, not seeing what he was. "That way. It's our only way off this rock." He looked back them, squinting in slight pain when he looked at the lights that they all held. Shaylon met his eyes as he walked toward her and Jack. "Just keep the girl between you."

Jack moved to the centre of the group almost mechanically as Shaylon walked back to Riddick, watching as he pulled up the rope that he had fashioned in order to drag the cells. She carefully touched his arm, almost hesitant, waiting for him to look up. Once he did, she almost lost all of her confidence. Actually, she did.

"You sure you'll be alright to drag those on your own?" She asked, instead of following her first plan. Riddick looked at her closely for a moment, before giving a silent nod. She nodded back, turning to leave. Most of the group was watching them, aside from Imam's last boy; he only looked forward in fear of what was to come. She stumbled when she was pulled back again, turning to ask Riddick what was wrong, when his lips met hers fiercely, setting her body ablaze again.

"That should tide you over until we get to the ship," He growled out, only for her to hear. She let the corner of her lips quirk up in a small smirk before she turned away again and joined the others. Fry was staring at her like she had just killed everyone in front of her and ate their hearts out. At Riddick's call, they pressed forward.

They ran, hearing the scraping of the cells on the rocks and sand, the high keen mingling with that of the creatures as they flew overhead. They had to slow only a couple of minutes later in the run when a large swarm flew down at them in a rush, their high keens almost deafening. Shaylon ducked down to avoid getting injuries and burns when Fry began to light them on fire with her Spirit. She could hear when Riddick swore loudly as he was forced to dodge them as well. She didn't want to look back though, because she knew that he could take care of himself.

Ducking away from another stray flying bat from hell she felt a large wetness fall upon her shoulder suddenly and slowed her running once more as she looked back at her arm. A large glob of blue liquid was running down her bicep, straining her skin. She felt more of the blue liquid beginning to fall on her and looked around. Anywhere that the light touched was coated with trails of the liquid, dripping down the rocks and pooling in the sand. It was falling from the sky like rain. Moving to look up, she felt a bump on her back as Riddick forced her to keep running. But she had already looked. The creatures above them were beginning to tear one another to pieces, fighting and screaming.

"Do not look up!" Riddick's deep voice yelled at her from behind, while the others didn't heed his command any more than she had. They also saw the carnage that was happening above their heads, they were all very conscious of the blue on their skin. They were wearing the blood of the killers.

"They're killing each other," Fry gasped, before she was forced forward by Shaylon, just as Riddick had done to her. Bodies began to fall from the sky, everyone looking up more than watching their path as they tried to avoid being crushed under one of the dead carcasses. Shaylon bumped up against Jack at one point when they had all suddenly stopped. She looked forward to see what the problem was and saw that there was a large assortment of bones in the way.

"Keep moving!" Riddick yelled at them once more, still pulling the cells. Shaylon usher Jack forward through the first set of bones, moving to begin clearing the lower sections that would be in the way of the dragging power cells. She didn't know why Riddick was working so hard to get those cells to the ship; we already had a plan on how to get off planet with the one that was already there. Shaylon and Jack moved onward to make sure the rest was clear as the other three stayed back with Riddick and moved the cells through the path.

"We're almost there, Jack." Shaylon assured as she watched the scared young female look up at her. Jack held only a flashlight in her hand. The sound of screaming caused Shaylon to jump as she moved away from Jack, ordering her to stay where she was. Running over to the others, she arrived just as the creature flew away from the fire that was quickly spreading from a broken Spirit.

"Riddick!" Jack's voice caused Shaylon to look forward again, seeing Riddick's lights in the distance as he moved on with the cells. She felt a strange sense of dread in her gut when she realized that he had no intention of waiting for them. "Wait!" Shaylon looked over to make sure that they others had Imam's boy taken care of before she made her way back toward Jack. She didn't have enough light with only her flashlight.

"Jack, come ba-"

A hard slam against Shaylon's back knocked the wind from her lungs, a heavy weight nearly crushing her body as she fell forward against Jack. The two females fell to the ground heavily, before a rhythmic pounding sounded from above. Shaylon screamed as the sharp point of the bone from the creature's skeleton pressed into her shoulder. Jack screamed in fear as a very alive creature began to pound its face into the skeleton to try and get to them.

Small bits of bone began to fly around and Shaylon knew that the old brittle skeleton wasn't going to save them. She looked over to where her Spirit had rolled on the ground, both relieved and angered that it hadn't shattered. If it had broke, the spread flames may have been enough to save them as well. The sharp piece of bone pressed too hard and the painful tear of skin pulled another scream from Shaylon's lips.

"_Riddick!_"

Shaylon could barely hear as Fry yelled, approaching. She didn't think that things could get worse. She didn't want to believe that after everything that had happened, Riddick was just going to leave her here to die. She wanted to be able to know that he was going to save her, save them all and get them back to where they belong safe and sound. She knew that wasn't going to happen, because he was walking away. Because she could scream his name as loud as she could and as many time as she wanted and he wasn't going to come. _'That should tide you over until we get to the ship.'_ She wasn't going to make it to the ship.

But then the pounding stopped and she was pulled out from under the skeleton, but it wasn't from clawed and dangerous hands, it was soft female hands that drug her through the sand and away from the darkness. "Stop the bleeding. She'll die!" Jack's voice cried out, a painful pressure added to the stab on her back shoulder. Shaylon screamed out from the pain, arching her back to try and escape it. She was pulled suddenly against someone warm, and she vaguely recognized Jack's mingled smell of sand, sweat and soap.

She opened her eyes to look at what was happening, where the creature had gone. Her head fell to rest on Jack's shoulder as more pressure met her shoulder. She looked up in time to see that large body of a creature fall before Riddick, the man himself covered in blood. His shiv was dripping with the blue blood as he looked over to her, his eyes almost glowing in the darkness. She watched as he moved toward the dead body again, twisting its head until it's neck snapped.

"Use this to hold on the bandage," Imam's voice called from behind her, but she didn't turn to look as her shoulder was tended to. She just leaned against Jack and watched Riddick carefully, seeing the killer that he kept beneath the surface most of the time. It was beautiful. She had never seen a predator look as he did, all of his muscles coiled and ready to attack at any moment in time. She gave him that same small smirk as before, seeing his own eyes slant slightly in an almost pleased manner.

"Are you alright, Shaylon?" She looked up at Jack, who was watching her carefully. Giving a curt nod, they both rose to their feet as she looked to the remaining people of the group.

"Let's keep moving."

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**Another chapter so soon! Hope you all like it, I wrote this one pretty quickly I was so inspired. I had been working on an English ISU while watching TV when the movie came on and after only watcher a bit I just had to type it up. Good thing my English isn't due 'till after the Holidays. I'm up to chapter 16, but I'm going to wait for some reviews for each chapter before updating.**

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)**

**And as you all can tell, I'm in a very good mood. I'll tell you why. I'm getting an early present tomorrow, and it...a kitten! I'm getting a Tabby cat named Titan for Christmas.**


	15. Fuck Rules, I'm A Convict

**Catch Me Before I Fall**

**Fuck Rules, I'm a Convict**

She almost laughed along with Riddick looking up at the sky as the water dripped down her face, cooling her skin. Her clothes were drenched through as her Spirit hissed as it slowly went out. She looked down to Riddick, seeing him smiling as he looked over to the others in mock. She didn't understand why he did what he did, but she was almost sure that it had something to do with the fact that he deeply hated much of the human race for the judgements placed on him over the years. Where was God indeed?

Fry and Jack attempted and failed to keep their flames burning, moving toward the walls of rock for some semblance of shelter. Imam carried his son over as well, placing him down so that they could both rest. Shaylon just watched Riddick carefully, seeing him climb up onto a higher surface on the rock face, looking up toward the top of the canyon.

"Riddick!" Fry called while Jack continued with their failing attempts. Shaylon felt pity for the younger woman, she hadn't even lived yet and she was already facing a death sentence. "Are we close?" The desperation in her voice grew, "Just tell me that the settlement is right there!" Her voice echoed off the calls of the canyon, mingling with the keening calls of the monsters in the darkness. Shaylon let her head fall back, her body relaxing. Time was up. She knew that the settlement was close, Riddick was too quiet and too patient for it not to be. He could leave them, he would leave her. Everyone was going to die. Imam's anguished cry didn't faze her, the sounds of pleased creatures calling as they took another life. There was no one left for Imam, they were all dead.

"I never believed when they said that death was peaceful," Shaylon mumbled, looking up at the black night. A hand on her forearm pulled her from her thoughts as she looked over to Riddick. Her Spirit was out of light by then, nothing more than a bottle of alcohol with a wick in the centre. She watched as the water washed away the blue blood on his skin, dripping off his chin, his nose, and his eyelashes. Her heart didn't stop, didn't skip a beat. She didn't get the exhilarated feeling when he touched her or even the rush of fear as he looked into her eyes. She knew what it was like to feel nothing.

"You're not going to die," His voice rumbled out as he looked closely at her, swallowing the taste of the lie on his tongue. Shaylon pulled her arm away from him, looking over to the cells briefly, before she met his eyes again.

"Please, don't lie to me, too. I have been lied to all of my life, and I need your harsh honesty to keep me sane, now." She glanced at their desperate group members and shook her head. "I may be too far gone, but Jack is still young and can have a normal life. I'm sure that Imam will adjust and have more children. My life's already too fucked up to save, Riddick. So don't bother with the lies of fake reassurance that it's not going to end tonight."

"Stop." He grabbed her again, pulling her harshly up against his person. "You're not-"

"Don't you fucking dare," Shaylon snarled quietly, meeting his eyes daringly. Any other person or time and she was sure that Riddick would surely have slit her throat to speak to him in such a way. "I have had it with people just throwing out what they feel like and hoping that I'll believe them. In the past, maybe I would have, but I've been walked on too many times to fall for it again. Don't think that I don't know the instinct, Riddick. Don't leave a single trace behind, not a trace of heart, of life or of innocence. I'm not a child in a group home, or a teenager in an asylum, I'm a murderer and a hacker and I'm fucking tired of running!"

"What?"

Shaylon looked over to Jack, seeing her eyes wide as she looked at the two. Shaylon looked up at Riddick again, seeing that his jaw was tight and his eyes hadn't left her face. She had seen that face on others, but it was there for a different reason for them. At the time, they had been holding in the urge to cry or to plead and beg, but with Riddick it was the urge to hold his tongue before he fucked things up further. Shaylon was the only person that he had ever met that could look into his eyes and see nothing, but still know his intent.

"What are you waiting for?" Shaylon whispered, sliding her arm easily form his hand. The rain had slicked their skin so much that it didn't even take much force at all. "We should get out of the rain." She called over to Jack, stepping up to her. Jack seemed to flinch away from Shaylon, now knowing the truth. She hadn't minded Riddick as a killer, but now Shaylon was too?

"Hide in there," Riddick called over, not moving from his place. Everyone glanced over to where he was looking, seeing the small opening in the rocks. Shaylon let the others enter first before she slipped in as well. She turned at the last second to look at Riddick, watching as he moved the rock over the entrance. Her eyes met his own, hard and emotionless. She had finally attained when so many other killers had. Nothing.

"Why is he still out there?" Jack asked quietly, looking over to Fry. Shaylon looked at the rock that now blocked their way out. There was no way that she was going to be able to move it, none of them could. Moving together, they opened the two remaining Spirit bottles and poured them into the third, tossing the cap aside and placing the last lit one on top. Jack let out a sigh as Fry finished twisting the lid back on. "He's not coming back, is he?" They all looked over to Shaylon, who was left leaning against the rock that block the entrance.

"What do you say, Shaylon? Do you trust the mighty Riddick to return?" Fry asked quietly, holding the Spirit up to her face. It was almost frightening, seeing her eyes dark with her lack of emotion and her face pale with the thought of death.

"No," Shaylon replied in a choked voice. "His instincts are in control now. He knows that there won't be a chance of getting to the skiff with all of us running there. It's fight or flight. Sadly, he seems set on flight right now."

"Why do you mourn for Mr. Riddick's leave?" Imam asked carefully. Shaylon let out a humourless laugh as she looked at the ground, watching the shadows cast from the rocks seem to dance from the fire.

"I had thought that he would let me live because he helped me, saved me when he didn't need to. I thought that if I helped him than he would return the favour, but it seems like I was screwed over again. I've been put through hell and back since the day that I was old enough to walk, and I don't ever seem to learn."

"Don't drown in self-pity."

"Self-pity?" Shaylon asked as she looked up to Carolyn Fry, her eyes hard and narrowed. "My life has been an endless string of lies, deceit and death. People drop like flies around me, whether it be from my hand or that of a merc or some kind of cop. I've been slowly sinking into the abyss of darkness that every convict comes to know. I'm drowning, we all do at some point." I looked over to Imam, who seemed as though he was holding his breath to stop a response.

"You made it that way!" Fry almost screamed, handing the Spirit over to Jack. She moved up to Shaylon and pulled her onto her knees so that they were both at the same height as Fry crouched before her. "You're the one that decided to break the laws, you've killed! You've ruined people's lives-"

"I didn't want this!" Shaylon screamed as she pushed Fry back onto her ass. Finally, an emotion. "You think I wanted to spend my childhood years being raped?" Her eyes were wild as she looked down at the other woman, "Do you think that I wanted to be on the run from my own family, the monsters that had bore me!" She moved back against the rock again, bringing her head between her knees as she shook. "I didn't want to run, I didn't want to become a hacker or a murder. I wanted to live the life that I had read in books, the life the others children said they were promised. I just wanted to be normal," she let her voice trail off as her hands rose to clutch her head. "I almost felt that normality with Riddick, because he didn't look at me with disgust when I told him, he didn't run away or threaten to turn me in. I felt almost normal, because I wasn't the only one that was feeling like this."

"Fry." Jack's small voice pulled the other two to look at him while Shaylon kept her head hung and her shoulders shaking. The flame from the Spirit was small, nearly gone. Shaylon rose her head only when she heard the creatures begin to scratch on the rock behind her, seeing the flame just as it disappeared and left them in total darkness. Imam reached over and placed a careful and on her forearm, causing her to look at him through the darkness. Her brows knitted down in confusion though, when she was able to still see a faint outline of him.

Looking around, she could see Fry and Jack as well, before she looked up toward the ceiling of the small cave. Small blue lights were coming from the ceiling, but she knew that they weren't lights. Pushing herself to her feet with the help of the rock, Shaylon moved up to look more closely. Small blue worms stuck to the ceiling tightly, glowing in the dark. Imam reached up and pulled two down from the rocks, holding them in his hand as the other three leaned over to look.

They quickly began taking the bugs down from the ceiling, popping open the bottle of one of the empty Spirits. Shaylon helped Fry pushed the insects into the glass bottle while Jack and Imam pulled them down and placed them on the ground for easier access. Shaylon began to scrape off the label on the bottle. Her heart was starting to beat fast as she thought about the chance of getting to the settlement without Riddick's help.

"Who's going to go?" Jack asked once they had screw the lid back on, some bugs left on the ground when the bottle had reached its limit.

"Fry," Shaylon said, looking up to the other woman. "I know that you don't trust me with Riddick so that we won't run off. You go, come back and save these two." She said, holding out the bottle to her. Fry seemed to hesitate, before she nodded and took the last of their light. They all lined up along the rock and pushed against it, trying their best to roll if just a little bit. Once there was a big enough gap for the woman to fit through, Fry stopped last minute.

"Come with me." Shaylon looked at her in confusion, meeting the woman's gaze.

"But-"

"We'll kick his ass together, for leaving us here," Fry, Carolyn, reasoned. Shaylon thought a moment, feeling her gut tighten. She wasn't sure what was going to happen if she were to face Riddick again, but the prospect of getting back at him for what he did to them was enough. Convicts were supposed to stick together, but he didn't seem to want to follow that pact. He changed the rules, so would she.

Carolyn and Shaylon kept a hold on each other's wrists as they ran up the hill as best they could, slipping and falling in the mud more than once. Carolyn's hand pulled on Shaylon's as she slipped again, the other woman pulling her up to her feet. Reaching the hilltop, they could see some of the buildings of the Settlement because of the light that the Skiff gave off. Sharing one last look, they both took off down the hill at top speed as Carolyn held the bottle up above their heads.

The water and mud slowed them down slightly, but neither was ready to relent. They had hated one another to a point, but now they were ready to risk their lives to go up against a serial killer so that innocent lives wouldn't be taken. Shaylon seemed to run faster than she thought her exhausted body could, pushing onward as she pulled Carolyn after her. The light from the skiff got brighter as they got deeper in the Settlement, the buildings passing them by. It had seemed so small before, but now it almost felt twice as long.

The light finally came from around a corner as Shaylon pulled a stumbling Carolyn into the lights of the front of the Skiff, nearly blinding them. They were drenched, dripping and panting heavily as they looked to where the window was, though they could not see through. Slowly beginning to walk around to the back, they shared a brief glance between them as they heard the ramp lowering. Stepping around to the back Riddick stood at the top of the ramp with his arms extended to either wall. Shaylon couldn't help that deep swelling of hatred, desire and confusion that burst within her at the sight of him. She didn't mean to react that way that she did.

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**Sorry that this one took a bit longer to come out, but I've been busy. My new kitten is a hell-raiser! Sure, he's cute and can be a blast at times, but it's a bit hard to work on my story when there's a furball with claws climbing up my leg. If anyone wants to see what he looks like, let me know and I'll change my profile pic to a picture of him for a little while. Hope you enjoy the chapter, I wanted to change things up a bit :P.**


	16. From Convict To Killer

**Catch Me Before I Fall**

**From Convict to Killer**

Shaylon was up the ramp and hurling herself against Riddick before either three of them actually knew what was happening. Riddick recovered fast and rolled when Shaylon hit him so that he threw her onto her back and stuck a knee into her gut to keep her down. She struggled against him still, clawing and hitting his legs, torso and shoulders. Another force impacted against Riddick's back as Carolyn tried to shove him off the other woman, one that she was shockingly coming to respect. Riddick was forced to release the fellow convict, which resulted in a kick to the gut once she had the chance.

"Enough!" He barely even had to try as he pushed Carolyn away, toward the inside of the Skiff as he took hold of Shaylon's ankle and drug her down the metal ramp. She kicked and screamed and thrashed the whole way down, trying to get him to release her. She finally hit the mud and continued to scream and hit him, throwing what energy she had left into the hits.

"We promised them that we would go back with more light!" Carolyn yelled from where she then stood on the ramp. Riddick didn't hurt Shaylon, so she deemed herself safe enough to stay still for a moment.

"Did you?" Riddick asked with a curious tilt of his head.

"What, are you afraid?" Carolyn dared, moving closer to Riddick and Shaylon. Riddick threw his head back and let loose a bellowing laugh, causing Shaylon to give him a strange look.

"Me, afraid?" He asked once he had finished laughing. He suddenly reached down and ripped the cloth that was holding Shaylon's shoulder bandage. She let out a scream when the skin that was stuck to the cloth tore as well, letting blood seep out.

"Come on Riddick." Carolyn's voice caused him to stop, while his eyes still lingered on Shaylon. "There's got to be some part of you that wants to rejoin the human race." Shaylon was left panting on the ground once he had stopped, before her feet slammed into his mid-section and threw him backward enough so that she could pushed herself up onto her feet and back up onto the ramp with Carolyn.

"Truthfully, I wouldn't know how," He confessed, looking at Shaylon from behind his goggles. She felt as though he were trying to relay a message to her, but she chose to ignore it. She wasn't going to get pulled down again. She was going to stand strong with the only people that hadn't totally stabbed her in the back while she was with them.

"Then just give us more light and we'll go back on our own," Carolyn yelled through the rain, watching Riddick in anger and annoyance. Shaylon looked over toward Riddick's shoulder belt and noticed that the light was totally smashed in.

"There isn't any light left," She mumbled, knowing that they could both hear her.

Carolyn didn't seem to understand Riddick's ways and moved down the ramp toward him again, beginning to beg him instead. Shaylon shook her head as she watched the strength of the woman disappear before her very eyes. She knew that Carolyn was still innocent on the inside, so she couldn't hold it against her for the way that she was acting. Even in her earlier years, Shaylon would beg and plead for her freedom, but now she knew that it never got her anywhere.

"I've got a better idea," Riddick began, darting past Carolyn to stand at the top of the ramp. Shaylon was stuck between them as she held on to her—once more—bleeding shoulder. "Come with me."

"Fuck you, Riddick." Shaylon's voice was low, but he heard her like she had said it right beside his ear in a silent room. He looked down at her, seeing that distance returning to her eyes. Stepping back down the ramp, he stopped right beside Shaylon.

"You're fucking with us, I know you are," Carolyn said, stepping up onto Shaylon's other side. "You left someone that you had seemed almost in love with to die out there with people she barely knew and didn't fit in with. You seemed to love her, or at least care for her, and only a minute ago you were trying to kill her and bleed her out." Shaylon shook her head as Carolyn's words hit home on the wrong person. Riddick didn't even flinch.

"You know I am?" Riddick asked, beginning to crouch down beside Shaylon. She moved away from him slightly, not knowing the inner turmoil of the convict beside her from her actions. "You don't know anything about me." His statement was directed only to Carolyn, because Shaylon seemed to know more about him than even he had told.

"I will leave you here, Carolyn." Riddick took hold of Shaylon's arm and pulled her up into the Skiff, leaving her to stand behind him. She looked on with wide eyes as she was left frozen in her place. What the hell was with the guy? She didn't know whether to hate him, kill him, help him or love him. Carolyn didn't seem to know what to do either as she fell onto her knees, as though she was in pain.

"Come on, I'll make it easy on you." Riddick held out a hand for her to take, waiting for her to respond. Shaylon watched, though she wasn't sure if that would last. If Carolyn took Riddick's hand than everything would change, Riddick would change, Carolyn would change, and Jack and Imam would be left to die on this goddamned planet. Jack was far too young, she still had a chance to be someone in her life, but that would all be taken from her without a say on her part. Imam had already been put through so much, and now he didn't have a chance to beg forgiveness from his god.

"No!" Shaylon let out a feral sounding scream as she charged at Riddick's back, throwing the both of them into the mud beside Carolyn. The other woman jumped in shock and watched as Shaylon fought with Riddick for a moment, her hands finding his throat. "I won't let anyone else die without a say! I won't lie down _ever again!_ I'll save them, I'll kill you if I have to!" Carolyn wasn't sure whether to be proud of the woman or fear her.

Riddick took hold of Shaylon's arms and threw her over his head so that she landed on her back, while he rolled up onto his knees. Spinning Shaylon around, she was pulled under the man's body as he drug her through the mud. Shaylon squirmed and jerked her body to try and throw him off, but he locked his knees on her hips and pulled a shiv to her throat. Carolyn stilled, knowing better than to endanger the other woman's life further.

"Get that thing away from me!"

"Shut up!" Riddick threatened her with the shiv over her artery, "Would you die for them?" He asked loudly, knowing that Carolyn was listening to ever word carefully.

"I would!" Shaylon screamed, looking up at his hidden eyes. Riddick almost moved back at the intense look that he hadn't seen in someone for years. "I would kill for them, and I would _be_ killed for them! I gave them my life the second I stepped out of that cave to come to you, because I knew the risks. For too long, people have died when I could have saved them and I won't have it anymore!" Riddick let one hand release her so that he could pull off his goggles, looking down at her in a new light. Shaylon's soul was in no way pure anymore. She had admitted the sin that he had been waiting for. She had killed her father in the past because of what he had done and had now admitted that she would kill again. Even if it be him.

"How interesting." Riddick rumbled, before he glanced back at Carolyn, she turned away from the two, moving to look for another light on the Skiff. Shaylon wiped the hair from her face with her now free hand as she kept her eyes locked on Riddick. Once he turned to look down at her again, she still kept her eyes on his face. His hand came down at her again, her whole body tensing in a flinch to a hit that never came. His hand slid beneath her head and pulled her up, his lips crushing against hers. She jolted in shock as she tensed against him for a split moment.

She couldn't deny if, though, that heat the rose in her. She had thought that it had disappeared, banished when he had decided to leave her behind. But no, it was only buried beneath the surface. Her body had shut down in order to protect itself, her emotions were a liability, so they were stowed away where they couldn't put her at any more risk.

"We have to get back to the others," Fry interrupted, almost embarrassed. Shaylon and Riddick didn't part, merely got closer. Shaylon's arm came up to wrap around his neck and pulled him down closer to her, her lips parting in invitation that she hoped he would except. Riddick responded without hesitation as his tongue met her own, him other arm sneaking around her back and pulling her up against him as he moved back to rest on his knees as she kneeled between his spread thighs. When they finally did part, neither seemed quite so ready to leave anymore. Shaylon knew, more than anyone else ever could, that she was setting herself up for disaster all over again.

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**I didn't mean to wait this long on updating this story, but I've been a bit hooked on finishing my Vampire Diaries story. I know this chapter's a bit short, but the next one will be longer, I promise. Enjoy!**


	17. Why Do We Grieve

**Catch Me Before I Fall**

**Why Do We Grieve**

Jack and Imam moved back away from the rock that was blocking the entrance to the small cave they were in, the few remaining glow bugs lighting the space so that they could see. Jack moved back behind Imam in fear as she looked up in time to see the rock fall away—their only sense of protection gone. The rain was still pouring heavily outside, running down the rocks in streams. Jack felt her stomach clench as she waited for the worst. But death never came. Carolyn and Shaylon's heads appeared around the side of the rock face as they looked in with smiles. Jack moved out from behind Imam as she felt that small tingling of hope begin to rise. An arm appeared over Shaylon's shoulders moments before Riddick's face came into view.

A smile finally rose to Jack's lips as she met Riddick's shined eyes. "Never had a doubt!"

"Anyone not ready for this?" Riddick asked, looking between Imam and Jack. Imam let out a small sigh as he looked to the other man.

"There is my god, Mr. Riddick." Shaylon looked up at Riddick once more as they moved out of the way of the entrance for Jack and Imam to exit through. The only light that they had were the two small bottles of the glowing bugs, any other light was gone or useless.

They ran in a line through the rest of the canyon, Riddick in the lead with Shaylon following behind him. Carolyn was holding the first bottle of light as they ran, while Jack was behind her and Imam brought up the end with the second bottle of light. Shaylon didn't let her eyes leave Riddick's shadowed back as she made the trip for the third time. She came to a stop behind Riddick when he stilled, spreading his arms to prevent passage. The sound of the creatures made her move toward the rocks as a cover, the others doing the same as Riddick crouched before her.

The feel of Carolyn's hand in her own brought that small amount of strength that she needed, before she reached up and took Riddick's hand in her own as well. Who would have thought that two killers would be guiding a group of survivors to their life of freedom, instead of ending it? Riddick looked back at her for a moment, before he concentrated forward again, his hand tightening on her own. He moved slowly away from the rocks, clearly waiting for the opportune moment to run.

The pull on her hand had her feet moving as she ran after Riddick, guiding Carolyn along as Jack guiding Imam. Shaylon was sure that if Carolyn's other hand was free, Jack would have been clinging on to it like a lifeline. Their small amount of light seemed to be all that they needed as they group rushed through the small cluster of creatures, setting them flying away as they keened. They reached that treacherous hill and started up through the heavy med, tugging and pulling on one another for help. Riddick was nearly dragging Shaylon up the large slope, in turn her pulling Carolyn as well.

"Don't stop, don't stop!" Imam called from the tail end of the group, pushing Jack up as she slipped. Once Shaylon reached the top, she released Riddick so that he could help the others up as well. Carolyn took Shaylon's hand again once they were all up, but she had to be forced once she heard Riddick calling at them to keep moving.

"You know the way! Don't stop running!"

"Riddick!" She screamed after him, feeling Imam and Jack surround her further as she was forced to run with the rest of them, leaving Riddick behind. What was he thinking? He didn't even have any light with him. Breaking away from the others, she ducked down underneath Imam's arm and charged toward Riddick, taking hold of his large upper arm and pulling at him.

"Get to your feet, get up!"

A huge weight shook the ground and she felt Riddick begin to push her back, Carolyn's voice calling to her and Riddick. It was then that she realized the mistake that she had made as she looked around the darkness that had consumed her and Riddick. More violent shoves from the man before her had Shaylon stumbling away from him in the direction that the others had taken toward the Settlement. A frighteningly loud keen had Shaylon freezing up as she fell back against Riddick in terror.

"Move, now!"

With Riddick's guidance, they made it to the Settlement faster than they had the first time. Riddick kept a firm hold on Shaylon's arm, his grip tight. He weaved them through the maze of buildings, pushing and pulling the woman in different directions toward the Skiff. Taking a sharp right he felt Shaylon stumble a moment and took a second to let her get her footing. The sound of water splashing on the ground caused Riddick to look up, seeing the familiar glowing form of one of the creatures a couple of yards ahead.

"Don't move," He mumbled to Shaylon, who immediately froze. He could have sworn she even stopped breathing for a moment. The creature stood to its full height, looking down at them. Pulling Shaylon up with him, he could feel her hesitance as he guided her up toward the monster. "Leg to leg, like you're trying to hide." Riddick commanded, feeling her do as she was told. Her feet moved behind his and she buried her face between his shoulder blades, holding onto his shirt tightly when her balance wasn't enough for the both of them.

As Riddick stepped to the right, Shaylon followed the movement, swaying her body in time with his. Riddick was relieved that she had caught on, swaying to the left this time. The creatures all had blind spots, directly in the center where the large bone prevented them from seeing. He fell still again when the creature turned to leave, slowly stepping back so that Shaylon could follow his moves. He was almost sure they were in the clear, when a loud keen came from behind them and a second creature crawled up along the ground, blocking their exit. They were trapped.

Pulling his shiv from his belt, he knew that there wasn't a snowballs chance in hell that they could both survive this. The creatures charged in unison, letting lose their cries. Riddick took Shaylon's arm roughly and pushed her to the side, between two storage containers. Shaylon screamed in apparent fear as the only person that could be her eyes disappeared, shoving her away. Pulling her way through the dirt, she heard Riddick let loose the most heart wrenching scream of pain. She stilled in her movements for a moment, before the sound of claws scraping metal had her pulling through the mud once more.

She couldn't stop her body from shaking in fear as she made her way through the darkness. She could barely see the lights from the Skiff through the different buildings in the Settlement, the small rays of light bringing her no hope as she saw the shadows of those beasts flying through the air. Carolyn's voice echoed through the darkness, calling Riddick's name, screaming at him to move and get up. The sound of claws on metal came again, causing Shaylon to choke back a sob.

She had let herself hope, she had almost believed that she was going to get out of here. Pulling herself through the mud toward the end of the shipping containers, a burst of white hot pain erupted from her lower back. There was so much pain, she wasn't sure where it was coming from exactly, but she knew that whatever wound it was, it was fatal. A pained, anguish filled scream tore from her throat as she collapsed fully into the mud once more, feeling the rain pelting down on her in an almost soothing shower.

She had had enough of this. What the hell had she done in her life that wasn't already justified that she had to be put through this hell? She had reason to kill her father, she had reason to hack through computer systems and help other convicts, but she had no reason to be slowly eaten alive by alien creatures from another planet. Looking up toward the lights from the Skiff, she slowly forced her legs to work. Using the crates on each side of her, she pulled her body upright once more, hitting the crate to the left when her knees gave out.

"Come on, live," She mumbled to herself, pulling her body up again. Hot blood oozed from her body as she pushed herself onto her feet, prepared. Coiling her muscles, she closed her eyes for a moment and remembered. The image of Riddick standing over the dead creature when he saved her and Jack, the sharp coil of his muscles and the deadly beauty of his stance. He was a killer, a predator, a survivor. And she was going to be one too.

Pushing her legs to move, she darted through the darkness with the best speed that her over worked body would allow, ducking in between buildings and containers so that she had some semblance of cover in the darkness. The bright lights from the Skiff finally hit her face directly as she slipped between two buildings, her body shaking with the adrenaline and her near death. She pushed herself into the wide ring of light, looking up at the lights that saved her. She could have sworn her eyes caught sight of two bright blueish silver orbs from inside the windshield.

"Riddick." His name fell from her lips before she knew what she had said at all. The only sound that she heard was the ramp from the back lowering once more, footsteps charging down the metal grates. Then he was there, bloody, bruised and ragged, but he was there. She almost laughed in happiness, seeing Jack jump down into the mud behind him and nearly slip. The relief was too much for her to handle, and she collapsed onto her knees, the blood from her shoulder and back turning the mud puddles a sickening red.

"Shaylon!"

Riddick charged forward, seeing Shaylon fall to her knees. The blood was all around her, human blood. She was pale, the colour of snow and her red hair was matted with mud. She fell to the side as her body finally gave out against the fight that it had once been putting up so strongly. Jack ran with him as they rushed to her side, picking her up from the ground carefully. A new wound adorned her back, deep and fatal. It had just missed her sweet spot.

"Come on, kid," Riddick rumbled as he lifted Shaylon into his arms, Jack following behind like a dutiful dog. She clearly looked up to Riddick as almost a hero, and someone that she wished she could be with, but also knew that she couldn't within the same instant.

They laid her down carefully on the floor in the center, Imam immediately moving to her aid as he placed pressure on her back. Riddick moved back to close the door, sending one last look out into the darkness. Carolyn had sworn that she would die for them, but not for him. Now where was she? As dead as the human remains in the soil.

Nothing seemed to move at normal speed as Riddick seated himself in the pilot's chair, beginning to start up the ship. Jack held onto Shaylon's hand tightly as Imam wrapped her middle with a tear from his robes. It wasn't clean, but it was as dry as he could make it and the only thing that they had. Shaylon herself remained in unconsciousness as the world passed on around her. She seemed to know, though, as she was tended to, that she was safe again.

As Riddick finished setting the controls, he began to push up the throttle, the engines kicking to life as he did so. His jaw was locked as he looked up to the dark sky, his hand tightening on the metal handle. Shaylon took in a gasp of pain as her whole body tightened in response to the pressure of Imam's wrapping. Riddick looked back from the corner of his eye, before pulling the throttle back down and turning off the lights and engine once more. Jack looked up from Shaylon to Riddick in near fear.

"Riddick, what are you doing?"

The sounds of the metal and claws caused a shudder to run through Shaylon's body as she slept, hearing the familiar sounds and recognizing them even then. A loud shudder from the back of the Skiff caused Riddick to look back as well as the creatures all began to move around the Skiff in curiosity, knowing that food was inside.

"Can we just get the hell out of here, now?"

"We can't leave," Riddick said quietly, before a loud scratch on the glass caused him to look forward. A large creature was standing on the front shield of the Skiff, its long teeth bared as it looked inside without actually seeing. Riddick glared at the monstrosity before him, before he spoke again. "We gotta say goodnight."

Shoving the throttle fully up, the engines kicked on again and the force of the craft shooting forward sent them all toward the back, aside from Riddick as he was only slammed into his seat. Imam and Jack held onto Shaylon as they watched the creatures that collided with the front window of the Skiff, flying to the side as others were burned by the engines. Before they knew it, they were off planet once more, leaving the nightmares behind. Riddick looked back once to make sure that Shaylon hadn't been injured further, before turning toward the front and beginning to set to work on the controls.

"Shaylon, please, wake up." Jake leaned over the other female as she assessed her friend's physical appearance. Hell, she looked like hell. That was the plainest way to put it, and the nicest. Another way to put it, "You look like death."

"Thanks for the complement."

"You're alive!" Shaylon let out a pained groan when Jack nearly pounced on her, Imam giving out a light sigh as he kissed his prayer beads. Jack moved back and watched as Shaylon carefully opened her eyes, testing the brightness. There wasn't a lot of light in the Skiff, but it was more than there was in her unconscious mind.

"At least that answers my question about where we are." Shaylon's voice was almost teasing, causing Jack to grin. There was plenty of reasons for the young girl to be happy, and plenty of reason not to. "Are you alright? What happened?" Jack's smile faltered as she looked away from the woman, toward Imam. "What?"

"Ms. Fry has passed," Imam answered carefully, causing Shaylon to crane her neck to look at him. "She went to find you and Mr. Riddick and never returned with him. You came to us again in such a state, we thought that we may lose you as well." Shaylon looked up toward the pilot's seat, seeing Riddick's shoulder from around the headrest as he worked.

"Help me up," Shaylon ordered, immediately causing two pairs of hands to assist her in first sitting up on the metal floor, before she rose to her feet fully. Her cargo pants were torn, dirty and wet, while her shirt was so tattered it left nearly nothing to the imagination. Shaylon moved up toward the co-pilot seat slowly as Jack and Imam stayed behind, minding the two convicts' space. Shaylon carefully lowered herself into the seat beside Riddick's and let out a small sigh.

"Never thought she'd die for a murderer," She muttered, seeing Riddick glance at her from the corner of his eye.

"She didn't want to," He replied, his voice set in a deep thrum. Shaylon nodded, turning so that she was sitting sideways in the seat and facing Riddick. He turned to look at her directly, then, his eyes meeting her own. He had never really paid that much attention to the maturity to her face. He had at first thought that the light blue of her eyes made her seem childish and innocent, but now that he had seen the dead look that could come to them, he knew better.

"We all die for a reason, hers was so that you could keep living." The silence in the ship was nearly deafening, before Jack's voice called from the back.

"There're a lot of people that we could run into out there; could even be a merc ship." Shaylon looked back to the young girl, seeing that she was truly worried for their sake and what would happen should they run into more mercs. "What do we tell them about you guys?"

"We're dead," Riddick answered, looking to Shaylon as he said so. "We died somewhere on that planet." The other three occupants nodded their heads in agreement to his words, before the silence came again. Shaylon knew that she was going to need to sleep, her body was still recuperating and she was beginning to sway in her seat. Leaning forward to Riddick just once, she whispered quietly.

"Don't let the one death you didn't cause tear you to pieces." Placing a lingering kiss on the sensitive skin beneath his ear, she moved back toward the one cot that was in the rear of the Skiff. Imam moved to assist her this time, getting a nod in thanks as she finally allowed herself to rest. Riddick remained awake and alert as he thought over her words. It was true what she said. Why was he grieving the death of a woman that he didn't even kill?

* * *

**See, I told you that the next chapter would be longer. I'm sorry if the editing that I did is terrible, but I've got the flu and I wasn't really into it. **


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